Department of Biomedical Engineering
John A. White, Jr. Engineering Hall
790 W. Dickson St. Suite 120
Fayetteville, AR 72701
Phone: 479-575-4667
Fax: 479-575-5619
Cardiovascular Engineering Research
Mechanobiology and Soft Materials Laboratory
Primary Investigator: Kartik Balachandran, Ph.D.
The MSML investigates the role of mechanical forces on physiology, function and disease. In particular, we are interested in understanding the interaction between structure and mechanics in regulating biological responses at different length-scales. We employ micro- and nano-fabrication tools to recreate the cellular and tissue environment in the laboratory. We also utilize live imaging, cell/tissue mechanics and tissue engineering techniques to understand several cardiovascular bioengineering problems including cardiac valve calcification, valve fusion and blood-brain barrier dysfunction. Knowledge gained from these studies will help guide the development of medical interventions and regenerative therapies. For more information, please visit the lab website.
Cardiovascular Biomechanics Laboratory
Primary Investigators: Morten Jensen, Ph.D., Dr.Med.
Understanding etymology of disease while creating solutions and dedicated devices is the primary focus of biomedical engineering. The CB Lab is an interdisciplinary environment that focuses on building the bridge between the clinical and engineering worlds with an innovative approach to solving critical problems. Using modalities such as ultrasound and MRI combined with research techniques for measuring biomechanical parameters in soft tissue, the results from this work has been adopted by the NIH guidelines for designing certain repair devices for heart surgery. The lab employs both in vivo and in vitro techniques to deliver the best possible solutions that will eventually benefit patients. Our team has more than 20 years of combined academic, clinical and industry experience, providing the optimal balance for surgical technique and device development for cardiovascular intervention. For more information, please visit us at cblab.uark.edu.
Quantitative Tissue Diagnostics Laboratory
Primary Investigator: Kyle P. Quinn, Ph.D.
The Quantitative Tissue Diagnostics Lab is a multi-disciplinary research group focused on developing quantitative biomarkers of tissue structure and function to diagnose disease, assess trauma, and guide therapies. Using imaging modalities such as multiphoton microscopy and fluorescence lifetime imaging, we can non-destructively obtain 3D images from live tissue without adding any stains or dyes. From these images, our group develops and utilizes quantitative analysis techniques to measure changes in cell metabolism and structural organization. Our primary research efforts are focused on exploring applications in the field of wound healing, with the end goal of developing non-invasive real-time quantitative readouts to detect impaired healing and guide care. For more information, please visit us at quinnlab.org.
Stem Cell Bioengineering Laboratory
Primary Investigator: Raj Rao, Ph.D.
The overall goal of the Stem Cell Bioengineering Laboratory is to combine the principles of stem cell biology, biomaterial science, molecular and cell biology and tissue engineering to contribute to better understanding of stem cell properties, development of novel stem cell bioprocessing strategies and enabling technologies towards applications in regenerative medicine. For more information, please visit the lab website.