Project Evaluation of Thoracic Aortic Aneurysm in Mice Program DUIRI - Discovery Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Research Internship Term Summer 2025 Status Accepted Research Area Biomedical Engineering, Vascular Disease Description According to the World Health Organization, cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death worldwide, with over 75% of deaths resulting from cardiovascular disease being in lower- and middle-income countries. One type of cardiovascular disease is the development of aortic aneurysms. Aortic aneurysms are a result of weakness in the wall of the aorta that leads to wall expansion and ballooning. This expansion can be followed by aortic wall rupture, which has a very high mortality rate. The goal of this project is to evaluate aneurysm development over time in the thoracic aorta, the portion of the aorta above the diaphragm. We will compare several aneurysm induction models, both surgical and pharmaceutical, in both pediatric and adult mice. These comparisons will be made by conducting 4-dimensional ultrasound imaging at weekly/biweekly intervals to assess the growth of the aneurysm. Further understanding of the differences in these models will be achieved by performing histology and scanning electron microscopy on aneurysmal tissue. By developing a better understanding of ascending aortic aneurysm progression, we can better predict which aneurysms may rupture in human populations. Supervisor Cortland Hannah Johns Mentor Type of work required Students assisting with this project would be expected to assist with mouse surgeries and post-operative animal care, learn to perform ultrasound imaging and image analysis independently, and perform histology and scanning electron microscopy sample preparation and analysis. Students may also contribute to computational modeling based on collected ultrasound images. Websites https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/cardiovascular-diseases-(cvds)#:~:text=Cardiovascular%20diseases%20(CVDs)%20are%20the,%2D%20and%20middle%2Dincome%20countries.
https://engineering.purdue.edu/cvirl
Qualifications Students should be interested in imaging research. Previous wet lab experience and coding experience is preferred but not required. A basic understanding of cardiovascular anatomy will be helpful with imaging. Previous experience with computational fluid dynamics may also be helpful with modeling but is not required. Credit Hours 0 Weekly Hours 40 (estimated)