Sandra Loerakker's KTH Solid Mechanics KEYNOTE Seminar "Computational mechanobiology approaches in the context of cardiovascular tissue engineering"

Sandra Loerakker October 2 2025.pdf (pdf 163 kB)

Abstract. Engineered cardiovascular tissues have the intrinsic ability to grow and adapt to changes in their hemodynamic environment. This fascinating adaptive capacity gives these tissues the potential to overcome the limitations of current cardiovascular replacements that are unable to accommodate changes in the recipient’s demands. For cardiovascular tissue engineering to be successful, however, we need to understand the responsible growth and remodeling mechanisms of (engineered) cardiovascular tissues, and be able to steer tissue development towards establishing a physiological tissue organization that ensures long-term tissue functionality. In this talk, I will discuss how computational modeling, particularly when integrated with experimental research, can aid in addressing both challenges. I will give a conceptual overview of the computational models that we developed to analyze the growth and remodeling of cardiovascular tissues, with a primary focus on heart valves and blood vessels