Research

Sponsored Projects

[PI] "Acquisition of a Portable High-Speed PIV System for Interdisciplinary Research at NDSU ", NDSU Small Equipment Grant Program, $48,119, 03/2026-06/2026
[Co-I] "The pulmonary visceral pleura (PVP) aortic valve", (Lead: Vanderbilt University, Dr. Haoxiang Luo; In collaboration with CalMI2), National Institutes of Health (NIH), R01, total $3,199,874, 01/2025 - 12/2028
[PI] "Multiphase Fluid Transport in Hyperelastic Tubes: A Combined Experimental-Computational Approach for Space Physiology" , NASA EPSCoR Pilot Grants Program, $58,000, 01/2025-06/2026
[PI] "MRI: Track 1 Acquisition of A Research Ultrasound System for Multidisciplinary Flow and Fluid-Structure Interaction Studies", National Science Foundation, $236,193, 05/2024 - 04/2027
[PI] “Understanding Pulsatile Helical Flow: Scaling, Turbulence, and Helicity Control”, National Science Foundation, $304,842, 01/2024 – 12/2026
[Co-PI] “High-Speed Volumetric Measurement System for Spatially and Temporally Resolved Flow and Surface Measurements” US ONR, $521,340, 03/2022 – 02/2023
[Co-PI] “Scientific-Grade Wind Tunnel for NDSU Advanced Unsteady Aerodynamics Research” US AFOSR, $171,753, 02/2022 – 01/2024
[Co-PI] “Development of corrosion/erosion threat assessment methodologies and enriched preventive and mitigative measures to promote safety of gas gathering pipelines” US DOT Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety (PHMSA), $377,830, (10/2021 – 09/2023)
[PI] “Enhancement of Left Atrial Appendage Flow using Artificial Superhydrophobic Surface”, American Heart Association, $185,887 (July 2019 – June 2022)
[PI] “Jugular Venous Blood Stasis in Microgravity: An integrated study of Pulsatile flow-vein-valve interaction”, NASA EPSCoR, $49,930 (October 2020 – September 2021)
[PI] “Acquisition of A Portable Laser Doppler Velocimetry System for Multidisciplinary Research and Teaching Activities at NDSU”, ND EPSCoR, $35,000, (October 2020 – May 2021)
[PI] “Development of Synchronous and Asynchronous Interactive Virtual Lab Modules for Thermal Systems Laboratory at NDSU” ND EPSCoR, $5,914, (October 2020 – June 2021)
[Co-PI] “High Power Laser for NDSU Advanced Research Measurements” NDSU EPSCoR, $35,000 (September 2019 – May 2020)
[PI] NDSU Research Development Travel Award, $1,000 (March 2019 – July 2019)
[PI] "Effects of Superhydrophobic Coatings on Pulsatile Flow and Wall Shear Stress in Cardiovascular Cavities," ND EPSCoR, State, $9,977. (September 2018 - May 2019).
[Co-PI] “3D Camera Equipment for NDSU Tomographic Flow Measurements,” ND EPSCoR, $39,983 (October 2018 - May 2019).
[PI] "Digital Astronaut: A Computer Simulation of Cardiovascular Hemodynamics in Microgravity," Sponsored by ND NASA EPSCoR, $18,589. (January 2018 - June 30, 2018).
[Co-PI] "A Novel Dual-Purpose Solar Collector Design," U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, $14,999 (September 1, 2017 – January 31, 2019).
[PI] "Experimental Study of Turbulent Characteristics of Novel Polymeric Heart Valves," Sponsored by NDSU RCA Seed Funding, North Dakota State University, $4,973 (November 2017 - June 2018).
[PI] "Development of a Cardiovascular Flow Emulator for Aortic Hemodynamics Research," Sponsored by NDSU RCA Seed Funding, North Dakota State University, $5,000 (December 5, 2016 - June 30, 2017).
[PI], "Manufacturing pancreatic cancer tissue microarrays using 3D tumor spheroids," NIH NDSU COBRE Center Pilot Project, $25,000 (October 2016 - February 28, 2017).

Research Interests

Cardiovascular Fluid Dynamics

Blood flow in the human cardiovascular system is highly complicated considering the wide range of Reynolds numbers, pulsatile condition, and fluid-structure interaction. Quantitative experimental measurements of cardiovascular hemodynamics will improve our current understanding regarding pathology of certain heart diseases, assist with improved medical device design, and provide validation benchmarks for patient-specific computer simulations.

Currently, our group works on the experimental characterization of pulsatile flow related various physiological phenomena and cardiovascualr diseases.

Cardiovascular Pulsatile Flow Simulator and In Vitro Phantom FLow Studies

Helical Flow in Blood Vessel Models

3D Flow Streamlines Measured in a Left Atrium Phantom

PVP Tissue Heart Valve Opening Tracked by Machine Learning Algorithm

Computer Modeling of Cardiovascular Hemodynamics

Human cardiovascular system as a whole works as an integrated dynamical system. System-level mathematical model helps elucidate the dynamic changes of pressure, flow rate, and volume of each specific compartment due to various external disturbances.

As one of our group focus, we are studying the potential changers of cardiovascular parameters due to the adaptation to micro-gravity environment.
Prolonged exposure to microgravity plays a direct and significant role in affecting human cardiovascular health.
Removal of hydrostatic pressure could induce perturbations to transmural pressure, leading to a new equilibrium state in each compartment.

Microfluidics for Three-Dimensional Cell Spheroids Development

Three-dimensional spheroids are compact aggregates of cells with an extensive 3D network of extracellular matrix to recapitulate the physiological micro-environment of tumors and exhibit high concordance with in vivo conditions. Currently, we are focusing on developing novel microfluidic chips that would facilitate the development of such 3D sphroid assays.

We are utilizing micro-Particle Image Velocimetry and 3D Boundary Element Methods to study the flow and cell deposition characteristics in these novel channel designs.

Aerodynamics, Wind Engineering, and Hydrodynamics

Our research interests on wind engineering, and low-speed aerodynamics include:

Aerodynamics and flow control of vertical axis wind turbine
Aero-hydro-dynamics of conceptual floating wind turbine
Passive/Active flow control to mitigate dynamic stall.

A multi-purpose subsonic wind tunnel has been built for low-speed aerodynamic studies. It could be used with a 1ft by 1 ft square test section under low turbulence and can laos be used as a open-jet blower for wind turbine model tests.

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