Biomechanics & Medical Devices

            Dr. Jahed is an assistant professor of Nanoengineering, and an affiliate professor of Bioengineering at the University of California San Diego.

In the dynamic environments of tissues, mechanical forces play a crucial role in shaping cell behavior and function. Our research aims to decode and control the mechanisms by which cells perceive, store, and respond to these mechanical cues, a process known as mechanotransduction. By integrating experiment with multiscale computational modeling, we are developing a predictive understanding of how cells and their surrounding extracellular matrix interact and adapt recursively to mechanical stimuli.

            Biogenic composite materials such as bone exhibit a combination of properties exceeding that of their constituents, a feat generally credited to their hierarchal structure, down to the nanoscale. Bone is complex tissue with nanoscale mineralized collagen fibrils as mechanical building blocks. Because of the inherent nanometer scale, we have a limited knowledge of time-dependent and small-scale bone response to physiological loading.

            Inflammation and fibrosis are conserved phases of wound healing in the heart, skin, and other organs. Yet therapeutic attempts at manipulating inflammation and fibrosis have had limited success. In this talk, I will present our computational and experimental systems biology research on cardiac inflammation and fibrosis.

            Water absorption of mid-infrared (MIR) radiation severely limits the options for vibrational spectroscopy of the analytes – including live biological cells – that must be probed in aqueous environments. I will describe a live cell biosensing platform based on arrays of plasmonic metasurfaces.

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is a pathophysiological condition caused due to concussion, impact or blast loading of the brain.

Heart valve disease (HVD), a significant complication of cardiovascular disease, is one of the leading global causes of death. HVD can be treated using medical devices such as artificial valves, stents, and patches.

Collective cell dynamics play a crucial role in many developmental and physiological contexts. While two-dimensional (2D) cell migration has been widely studied, how three-dimensional (3D) geometry and topology interplay with collective cell behavior to determine dynamics and functions remains an open question.