The Big Picture

I am interested in understanding fluid dynamics in the cephalic vein of End Stage Renal Disease (ESRD) patients undergoing dialysis. Therefore, I make computational models of this vein based on patient-specific medical data for subsequent 3D printing, resulting in the fabrication of a milifluidic device which allows for hemodynamics studies in the lab. I pinpoint sites of highly turbulent flow and dynamic wall shear stress while studying how blood's biochemical and physical properties affect stenosis and thrombosis rate on these veins. The hope is that my work leads to the re-evaluation of dialysis treatment parameters to avoid cephalic vein atrophy which can result in costly interventional procedures.