| The Center for Cardiovascular Biomaterials was established on behalf of a consortium of Case Western Reserve University, the University of Cincinnati, The Cleveland Clinic Foundation, and the Edison BioTechnology Center. The Center is comprised of integrated "resources" that provide expertise and state-of-the-art facilities in key areas of cardiovascular biomaterials research, including new cardiovascular biomaterials, structure and property analysis, biopolymer and biomaterial interfaces, biocom patibility, cell dynamics and analysis, and biomedical device evaluation. The research mission of the Center is "goal-oriented" to foster direct links from academic research to the biomedical and health care industries. The major goals of the Center are to foster innovative cross-disciplinary and interinstitutional research, directed towards the development of new cardiovascular biomaterials, and to enhance | and promote education and training in bio medical engineering and life science. This philosophy is intended to emphasize and exploit new opportunities for technology transfer. The graduate education and training program stimulates a strong synergistic relationship between the research and educational components of the program. The resources and facilities of the Center for Cardiovascular Biomaterials are based at Case Western Reserve University, the University of Cincinnati, and The Cleveland Clinic Foundation. Each resource offers a well-defined research thrust area in car diovascular biomaterials that is under the guidance of its director, and provides state-of-the-art equipment, facilities, and technical and experimental expertise. Collaborative research teams provide the specific expertise associated with a particular biomaterials project. |
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Cardiovascular biomaterials used in
biomedical devices save thousands
of lives each year in the treatment of
diseased human organs. However,
existing biomaterials are still very
limited because of significant clinical
problems such as surface-induced
thrombosis and infection. These
problems with biomaterials have
limited the success of existing
cardiovascular devices and have
restricted the potential applicability
of the biomaterials to other devices.
By combining key areas of
biomolecular engineering and
medical expertise through
cross-disciplinary collaborations,
one has a realistic basis for resolving
fundamental issues of
blood-materials interactions and for
developing successful biomaterials. The Center for Cardiovascuhr Biomaterials addresses the need for advanced biomaterials:+ Cross-&ciplinary research leads to new insights in cell and molecular interactions with biomaterials, which can be incor porated into molecular-level engineering design of novel cardiovascular biomaterials. Equipment: State-of-the-art equipment resources, enhanced by receipt of a $1.1 million award from the Ohio Board of Regents, provide investigators with unique opportunities to achieve innovative and ambitious research objectives. + Education: A biomedical engineering graduate program in cardiovascular biomaterials has been established with support from the Whitaker foundation. The program features highly focused thesis topics and a challenging integration of engi | neering and life-science courses.
+ Promotion of technology
transfer: Academic-industry
collaborations create
opportunities for technology
transfer to the biomedical
industry. The combination of
expertise and resources
assembled at CWRU, CCF,
and UC encompasses the
critical areas of basic and
applied biomaterials research.
The Principal Program Director
of the Center for
Cardiovascular Biomaterials is
Roger Marchant, Ph.D.,
Associate Professor of
Biomedical Engineering and
Macromolecular Science at
CWRU. At the Cleveland
Clinic, the Center is led by
Co-Directors Hiroaki Harasaki,
M.D., Ph.D., of the Biomedical
Engineering Department,
andKandice Kottke-Marchant,
M.D., Ph.D., Division of
Pathology and Laboratory
Medicine. The Director at the
University of Cincinnati is
Ronald W. Millard, Ph.D.,
Professor of Pharmacology and
Biophysics. Case Westem
Reserve Universit~ has a
well-established research effort
in cardiovascular biomaterials.
Investigators collabo rate on
synthesis, characterization,
modeling, and development of
novel cardiovascular
biomaterials, including
self-assembled monolayers,
biologic/synthetic hybrid
polymers, plasma-polymerized
films, and Langmuir-Blodgett
films. Major analytic resources
include: + Surface Analysis of
Biomaterials, directed by Arthur Heuer, Ph.D. + Structure and Properties of Biomaterials, directed by Anne | Hiltner, Ph.D. + Biopolymer and Biomaterials Interfaces, directed by Roger Marchant, Ph.D. + Biocompatibility of rnationally Cardiovascular Biomaterials, directed by James Anderson, M.D., Ph.D. The University of Cincinnah has recognized strengths in materials, fluid mechanics, biophysics, and the car diovascular medical sciences. The engineering component emphasizes materials, while the medical component emphasizes studies that examine blood cell and endothelial cell responses to shear stresses caused by alterations in blood or fluid flow in the cardiovascular system. These strengths are realized in the following resource: + Cellular Dynamics and Analysis, directed by Ronald Millard, Ph.D. The Chveland Clinic Foundahon is a world-renowned institution in regard to cardiothoracic surgery, cardiology, pathology, and artificial devices. Investigators are at the forefront of clinical and animal research in several cardiovascular areas. The extensive facilities and experience in clinical-drug and device-evaluation animal studies for cardiovascular devices and the expertise in monitoring in vivo thrombotic potential provide the basis for a pre-eminent center for the study and evaluation of cardiovascular devices. The Cleveland Clinic Foundation houses one integrated multi-departmental resource: + Cardiovascular Device Evaluation, co-directed by Hiroaki Harasaki, M.D., Ph.D., and Kandice Kottke-Marchant, M.D., Ph.D. The Center for Cardiovascular Biomaterials strives to foster basic and applied cross-disciplinary, interinst tutional research collaboration with the ultimate goal of promoting technology transfer to tfie biomedical industry. |