CAREER: Biofluid Dynamics of the Human Breast: Characterization and Fluid-Structure Interaction

University Of Texas At Dallas, Richardson TX

Investigators

Abstract

1454334 Hassanipour The goal of this CAREER proposal is to study lactation in the human breast from a fluid dynamics point of view, considering the flow of milk as flow through a porous medium with flexible structure. Despite the scientific importance and impact on public health, bio-transport processes in the human breast have not been comprehensively studied, and are currently not well-understood. This is the white space that the current proposal aims to cover, with potential impact on the lives of millions of people. Success of the project can enable biomedical devise design and diagnosis of health conditions related to the female breast. This project has the potential for high rewards, since it can open up a completely new area of research. The societal and economic impact of understanding fundamentally the fluid-structure interaction in the human breast can be very significant, ranging from effective drug delivery to health condition diagnosis and the design of medical devises resolving lactation difficulties. The PI is proposing to use state-of-the-art experiments and simulations to understand the bio-transport behavior of the ductal system of the human breast. Advanced imaging and 3D printing techniques are going to be used to obtain realistic images of the pore structure within human breasts and then to manufacture prototypes for laboratory and computational investigation of the flow. The breast-infant interaction and the boundary effects of infant suckling will also be investigated. The proposed research activities are further integrated with an educational component including course development, and K-12 outreach activities that are a continuation of PI's past work with high-school students.