Biomedical Engineering

Biomedical Engineering Research

The application of mechanical engineering and materials science to solving some of the major problems associated with human and animal health is one of the primary research areas of CSU’s Department of Mechanical Engineering.  Faculty that hold their primary appointment in mechanical engineering are involved in active research that encompasses such projects as experimental modeling of cardiovascular system and development of novel cardiac devices, finite element modeling of the human skeleton, nanomaterials development for bone incorporation and drug elution, protein dynamics and molecular simulations, and the development of novel materials for joint replacement and tissue engineering applications.  These faculty members also hold secondary appointments in the newly-formed School of Biomedical Engineering, an interdisciplinary graduate program that incorporates faculty from across the entire campus.   

There are currently five faculty members within the CSU Department of Mechanical Engineering that are actively involved in biomedical research:

Lakshmi Prasad Dasi, Ph.D.: cardiovascular mechanics, cardiac devices, and biomechanics of erythrocytes and platelets

Susan P. James, Ph.D.: polymeric biomaterials, orthopaedic implants, regenerative medicine and drug delivery.

Ketul Popat, Ph.D.: biomaterials, tissue engineering, drug delivery, bionanotechnology.

Christian Puttlitz, Ph.D.:  musculoskeletal biomechanics, implant design, finite element, sensor development, histological techniques and evaluation.

Xianghong Qian, Ph.D.: biomaterials, ab initio and classical molecular dynamics simulations, membrane and bioseparations.