One project involves identifying specific hemodynamic determinants of atherogenesis in the human abdominal aorta. Detailed velocity and shear stress measurements are made on glass models. Non-invasive magnetic resonance imaging is used to determine the hemodynamics and detect pathology in vivo. Computational solutions explore fluid mechanic variations from geometry. Another project studies the collapsible tube behavior of highly stenotic arteries.
Additional studies investigate the relative role of hemodynamics in vascular graft occlusion.
Dr. Ku's work is supported by NIH, NSF, the American Heart Association, and the Whitaker Foundation. Collaborative work is performed with Emory University and the University of Texas Health Science Center in San Antonio. He is a member of the AHA Council on Arteriosclerosis and is a Fellow of the American College of Angiology. Ku, D.N., D.P. Giddens, C.K. Zarins, and S. Glagov. Ku, D.N., and D.P. Giddens.