Decompressive craniectomy and calculation of cardiovascular risk at the center of the seminar held by Michael Sutcliffe of the University of Cambridge
July 27, 2016 - It seems to be the interdisciplinarity the fil rouge which links the University of Cambridge toUniversità Campus Bio-Medico di Roma. Michael Sutcliffe, coordinator of the Departmental Bioengineering Research Theme and director of the Biomechanics Group at the English university, explained this to a crowded audience of Italian researchers from theUCBM. In fact, illustrating the bioengineering program carried out in Cambridge, the scholar underlined its multidisciplinary aspect that crosses the disciplines of biology, medicine and engineering, both in terms of research and teaching.
Specifically, Sutcliffe talked about several projects carried out at Addenbrooke's Hospital in Cambridge. A first work concerns decompressive craniectomy, a surgical operation of temporary removal of a part of the skull due to lesions and brain trauma, in order to decompress the brain tissue. In this field, biomechanics researchers work alongside surgeons to understand how any injury to brain tissue is affected by the size and location of the opening that is made in the skull.
One of the synergies between the Cambridge bioengineering team and the Addenbrooke oncologists is instead based on the application of biomechanical models to stabilize the radiotherapy dose in cases of prostate cancer. Finally, the latest study presented by the Anglo-Saxon scientist concerns the analysis and biomechanical modeling of the microstructure of collagen in the arterial wall in physiological and pathological conditions. This project therefore aims at the development of new computational models that are reliable and predictive of the risk of cardiovascular injury. Another clear example of how bioengineering can be applied to clinical practice for the improvement of human health.
