Past Awardee

Multiscale/Stabilized Finite Element Methods and Large Scale Computing for the Simulation and Analysis of Clot Formation and Dissolution in Flowing Blood

Arif Masud

College: Engineering
Award year: 2007-2008

Blood clots in the lungs, which usually break loose from the legs, are the cause of 50,000 to 100,000 deaths each year in the United States. About 500,000 people in the United States suffer from strokes annually. Of these, 80 percent are caused by a blood clot that reduces the blood flow and oxygen to the brain. Blood clots can also be directly related to other problems such as surgical recovery, accidents, long-term immobility, and cancer. There are multiple interacting mechanisms that control the formation and dissolution of clots and thus maintain blood in a state of a delicate balance. In addition to a myriad of biochemical reactions, rheological factors also play a crucial role in modulating the response of blood to external stimuli.