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The tranverse research axe " Health and Engineering Seminars for the Living "

Contact : Pascal Swider

Research activities at the IMFT associated with the “Health and Engineering for the Living” axis include the study of the vascularization of organs (brain), biological tissues (intervertebral discs, adipose tissue, biofilms) and bones (spine, bone tumors). They are part of a scientific approach that aims to combine laboratory experiments, mathematical modelling, numerical simulations and clinical studies in particular in collaboration with Purpan University Hospital. We conduct these activities using experimental means that allow image acquisition and processing, in-vitro microfluidic experiments and clinical trials. Our main competences concern the study of porous biological media (flow and transfer coupling in biofilms or tissues, image/model coupling, poromechanics, characterization, growth and reconfiguration of microvascular networks), the modelling of interactions between vascular and cranio-spinal networks and the study of multiphase flows in heterogeneous media in a translational research context.

The axis brings together some fifteen researchers and five clinicians. Its members are involved in several national and international networks such as the Biomechanical Society, GDR MECABIO 3570 (organization of annual days in January 2018), GDR ISIS 720, GDR BIOMIM, SEOP, European Federation of National Associations of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (EFORT), French Society of Pediatric Orthopedics (SOFOP), French Society of Orthopedic and Traumatological Surgery (SOFCOT), French Society of Spinal Surgery (SFCR) fondation Cotrel.

Ongoing projects extending over the period 2021-2025 concern the engineering component of the study of biofilms in porous media (ERC BEBOP). Concerning health applications, current projects focus on cerebral microcirculation in aging pathologies, the study of the cranio-spinal system (ANR Hanuman), the development of bio-inspired microfluidic systems for the study of metastatic invasion (National Institute of Health-USA NCI IMAT) and the growth of bone tumors (MEGEP and CNRS Disability Insertion Mission).