Michael Levitt
University of Washington, WA·Biomedical Engineering
Cerebral aneurysms are bulges in the brain's arteries. When they rupture, the outlook is dismal.
- Fields
Biomedical Engineering
Medicine & Clinical Research
Engineering
- Topics
cerebral aneurysm
intracranial aneurysm
computational fluid dynamics
- Grants
- 1 known grant, through Jul 2028
What they work on
- Run computational fluid dynamics simulations before and after treatment on a cohort of human cerebral aneurysms with known outcomes, and test which wall-based (Eulerian) and platelet-tracking (Lagrangian) measures predict success or failure.
- Test whether platelet-like particles with long residence time and low cumulative shear inside treated aneurysms match treatment-related clotting, using an animal aneurysm model treated with commercial endovascular devices and histology.
- Combine Eulerian and Lagrangian blood-flow metrics into an optimized simulation method that predicts outcome after cerebral aneurysm embolization.
More about the research
Even after treatment, up to 40% fail: the aneurysm comes back, leaving a risk of brain hemorrhage or the need for another procedure. The forces of flowing blood (hemodynamics) are thought to influence whether treatment works. Computer simulations of that flow, called computational fluid dynamics (CFD), have given conflicting results. This project aims to improve the accuracy of these simulations so doctors can predict which aneurysms will heal after treatment.
Why it matters
Patients with cerebral aneurysms face treatment failure rates of up to 40%, which can lead to recurrence, brain hemorrhage or repeat surgery. Simulations that account for platelets and clotting could help surgeons spot high-risk aneurysms before treatment and choose approaches more likely to succeed. This may help prevent hemorrhagic stroke from aneurysm rupture.
Known grants
From NIH and NSF research grants. Labs often have other funding we can't see.
Closest labs
Naoki Kaneko
University of California-Los Angeles, CA·Biomedical Engineering
Determine which endothelial cell (vessel-lining cell) signaling pathways are associated with unstable wall remodeling in human intracranial aneurysms, using tissue imaged by micro-CT and multiphoton microscopy.
Zhongjun Wu
University of Maryland, Baltimore, MD·Biomedical Engineering
Characterize how high mechanical shear stress changes neutrophil structure, rolling and adhesion, and surface markers, and quantify how structural damage scales with stress levels found in VADs and ECMO.
Ryan Sochol
University of Maryland, MD·Biomedical Engineering
Create machine learning-based design tools that predict how soft robotic microcatheter tips will bend and perform, to guide the design of steerable catheters.
The school
University of Washington: 81 labs on PI Pages, $1.7B a year on research, 694 research doctorates a year.
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