BioE PhD Defense Announcement- Prem Midha

Advisor: Ajit P. Yoganathan, Ph.D. (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Committee:

Vasilis Babaliaros, M.D. (Emory University)

Gautam Kumar, M.D. (Atlanta VA Medical Center)

Wei Sun, Ph.D. (Georgia Institute of Technology)

Cyrus Aidun, Ph.D. (Georgia Institute of Technology)

A Parametric Investigation of Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Performance

While transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has many advantages over surgical replacement, it is a young technology with little evidence of long-term effectiveness. As such, there is an ever-growing need to understand factors which can lead to poor patient outcomes. This work aims to clarify which surgical and transcatheter prosthesis type, size, and deployment positions will yield the most favorable performance while minimizing adverse events. In addition, this study provides possible mechanistic explanations for the presence of TAVR leaflet thrombosis. These phenomena will be investigated through novel analyses of clinical data and innovative in vitro experimental techniques. Understanding the complex interplay between anatomical, deployment, and hemodynamic conditions in such complex scenarios will help inform clinical practice and guide the development of improved next-generation valve replacements.