Dr. Dhyaa Kafagy, Ph.D. CSWP
Assistant Professor, Cardiovascular Engineering, nanoparticles, and Dental Materials.
Oklahoma State University, USA
My research focused primarily on computational cardiovascular engineering and experimental characterization of dental materials. My computational cardiovascular research focused on the development of novel therapeutic devices as innovative alternative mechanical circulatory support devices for pediatric and adult patients with heart failure, specifically for those having single ventricle physiology. A mechanical axial blood pump specifically intended to increase pressure in the great veins would augment flow through the lungs and reverse the Fontan paradox in adolescent and adult patients with failing single ventricles. I have generated preliminary data through computational modeling and experimental hydraulic testing of design models to validate the feasibility of this approach. Building upon my initial data and in collaboration with research partners, I advanced the pump design. The outcome of this research and development will be a novel, percutaneous blood pump for use to support Fontan patients. This research project will design an innovative therapeutic tool, unlike any currently under development, that will provide mechanical assistance to patients with failing single ventricle physiology. It will serve as a bridge?to?transplant or bridge?to?hemodynamic stability for Fontan patients.
My experimental research focuses on the development of nanoscale particle and capsules for the enhancement of dental materials. Those capsules and particles have a wide range of application in nanomedicine, drug delivery systems, and biomaterials. In my research, I will focus primarily on the development of new dental composite materials and dental related devices. Experimental methods will be utilized to develop new nanotechnology fabrication tools and to predict the behavior of dental composites and their properties. Also, my current research can be expanded to the enhancement of new biomaterials such as nanomedicine carriers, nanotubes, and medical cement.
I have worked in three different research areas: Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) of cardiovascular systems, Experimental Solid Mechanics, and dental composite materials and Nanoparticles. My research focuses on the cutting-edge investigation of critically important interdisciplinary fields in mechanical engineering, biomedical science, nanomedicine, and biomaterials.
My Ph.D. research focused primarily on the characterization and development of novel multi-functional composite biomaterials. I am particularly interested in the development and characterization of materials with autonomic functionality, such as self-healing dental composites. In this research, I analyzed the mechanical and physical properties of the new elements regarding fracture toughness and fatigue performance and then studied the impact of integrating microcapsule self-healing systems in dental composites.
The self-healing system adopted in this research is based on the use of embedded microcapsules within the dental composite structure. These microcapsules contain active chemical agents that can polymerize upon release from the microcapsules. The polymerized healing agent would act as an adhesive repair material to repair cracks before propagation to failure could occur. As such, an integrated self-healing mechanism is expected to increase the durability of composites. Furthermore, the system should be able to be activated automatically by crack propagation. The primary goal of this research is to enhance the strength of dental composites by incorporating the ability to self-heal any mechanical damage that may be introduced during the lifespan of the restoration. This goal is achieved by using a system of microcapsules that contain either a polymerization initiator or a resin in fluid form. My first research step will be to continue these research efforts to advance my prior research.
My experimental research focuses on the development of nanoscale particle and capsules. Those capsules and particles have a wide range of application in nanomedicine, drug delivery systems, and biomaterials. In my research, I will focus primarily on the development of new dental composite materials and dental related devices. Experimental methods will be utilized to develop novel nanotechnology fabrication tools and to predict the behavior of dental composites and their properties. Also, my current research can be expanded to the enhancement of new biomaterials such as nanomedicine carriers, nanotubes, and medical cement.
• Cardiovascular Engineering
• Dental Materials & Medical Devices
• Multidisciplinary systems
• Biomedical Engineering
• Experimental Mechanics
• Microcapsules & Nanoparticles
• Cancer Drug Delivery Systems
