Biomechanics of Soft Tissues and the Quantitative Modelling of Some Problems in the Biomedical Sciences.

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Quantitative models are playing an increasingly central role in attempts to improve medical outcomes and are rapidly becoming an indispensable tool for biomedical discoveries of the future. New research paradigms and the development of computer simulations have contributed to translational research that has revolutionized clinical management and treatment, resulting in decreased mortality and healthcare costs. Hydrocephalus is a clinical condition resulting from either developmental abnormalities or injuries. Genetic factors are believed to underly the development of congenital hydrocephalus; in contrast, acquired hydrocephalus occurs after development of the brain and may be due to many causes (such as trauma, hemorrhage, infection, tumors). Although infantile hydrocephalus is one of the most common birth defects, half a century of research has produced little improvement in treatment. The development of an accurate, quantitative model , suitable for the simulation of the mechanical behaviour of brain tissue, will be an important milestone in the clinical neurosciences . The identification of major factors that influence treatment response in brain tumours and other cancerous tumours has also been a problem of longstanding interest and relevance, particularly in clinical oncology. Whilst conventional treatments have contributed to major advances in the management and control of cancer, there is room for significant further improvement Clearly fresh approaches are needed to understand the causes and therapeutic potential of such deadly diseases. The biomechanical behaviour of biological tissues is one of the most demanding and complicated to model. My research program is focussed on the development of a comprehensive quantitative model, coupled with experimentally informed computer simulations, to predict the response of biological tissues in vastly different loading situations as, for example, regularly encountered by the neurosurgeon. The careful coupling of mathematical modeling, well designed experiments and the use of novel engineering technologies will result in a deeper understanding of the underlying mechanisms that give rise to these long standing medical conditions and diseases.