Cardiovascular Biomechanics Research Group

Lally Lab, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland

Our research is focused on arterial tissue mechanics, vascular imaging, vascular mechanobiology and tissue engineering. We aim to gain critical insights into the role of mechanics in cardiovascular diseases, with particular focus on load induced remodelling and regeneration of arterial tissues at the material and cell level.

Using non-invasive vascular imaging techniques, such as Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging, we aim to develop novel diagnostic techniques for early detection of vascular degeneration.

We also use in vitro and in silico modeling approaches to aid the design and development of intravascular medical devices for the treatment of existing vascular disease.

Prof. Caitríona Lally is a Professor in Bioengineering within the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering and Principal Investigator in the Trinity Centre for Biomedical (TCBE) in Trinity College Dublin (TCD). She received her BEng (Mechanical Engineering) and MEng (Biomedical Engineering) degrees from University of Limerick and in 2004 she obtained a PhD from Trinity College Dublin in the area of arterial biomechanics and cardiovascular stenting. Immediately following her Ph.D., she took up a lecturing position in the School of Mechanical & Manufacturing Engineering at Dublin City University, and was appointed senior lecturer in 2014. She recently returned to TCD in 2015 as a Professor in Bioengineering.
Celia and Yasmine Win Prizes at the 25th Sir Bernard Crossland Symposium - September 2022

Celia and Yasmine Win Prizes at the 25th Sir Bernard Crossland Symposium - September 2022

Yasmine Guendouz from the Lally Lab was awarded first prize for her technical paper submission and presentation, and Celia Hughes, also from the Lally Lab, received the second-place prize for her poster.

Dr. Niall Linnane Wins the Charles S. Kleinman Scholarship Award - September 2022

Dr. Niall Linnane Wins the Charles S. Kleinman Scholarship Award - September 2022

Dr. Niall Linnane attended the Pediatric and Congenital Interventional Cardiovascular Society symposium in Chicago, and won the prestigious Charles S. Kleinman Scholarship Award. Congratulations Niall!

Dr. Robert Johnston

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Fundamental insights into rupture mechanisms of atherosclerotic plaque tissue: Determining possible new diagnostic measures of plaque vulnerability

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Dr. Shirsha Bose

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Development of implantable urological devices - experimental approach

Dr. Majid Akbarzadeh Khorshidi

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Development of implantable urological devices - finite element analysis approach

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Celia Hughes

PhD Candidate

The development of bioinspired prosthetic heart valve leaflets for TAVR using additive manufacturing and finite element modelling

Yasmine Guendouz

PhD Candidate

Using Machine Learning to identify the critical features of carotid artery plaque vulnerability from Ultrasound images

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Aoife Glynn

PhD Candidate

Understanding the critical parameters which influence the success of cerebral artery thrombectomy procedures

Francesco Digeronimo

PhD Candidate

Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping MRI imaging to quantify carotid plaque rupture risk

Luke Guerin

PhD Candidate

To determine the critical role damage plays in calcification of porcine pericardial leaflets with a view to minimizing damage and calcification and improving transcatheter aortic valve leaflet durability.

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Conor O'Keeffe

PhD Candidate

Jessica Bagnall

PhD Candidate

Deep Learning for Magnetic Resonance Quantitative Susceptibility Mapping of Carotid Plaques

Dr. Brooke Tornifoglio

Postdoctoral Researcher

Quantitative MRI for arterial tissue biomarkers

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Dr. Niall Linnane

Doctor of Medicine (MD) Candidate

Paediatric Coarctation Mechanical and Microstructural Characterisation

Dr. Alix Whelan

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Collagen fibre-mediated fatigue mechanics of pericardium for use in Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacements

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Dr. Ciara McKenna

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

In-silico investigation into stent design for aortic coarctation treatment

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Dr. Orla McGee

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Designing bespoke stents optimized for both patient needs and for selective laser melting (3D printing) and development of an agent-based model in Matlab to assess smooth muscle cell response varying levels of cyclic strain.

Dr. Alan Stone

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Non-invasive vascular imaging techniques

Dr. David Nolan

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Investigating cardiovascular biomechanics and mechanobiology using computational and experimental methods.

Dr. Emma Fitzpatrick

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Investigating the role of collagen fibre structure and strain on vascular cell proliferation and differentiation

Dr. Robert Gaul

PhD Candidate

Fundamental Insights into Arterial Remodelling; Strain-Mediated Degradation of Arterial Collagen

Dr. Pattie Mathieu

PhD Candidate

Multipotent vascular stem cells and the effects of cyclic tensile strain, collagen structure and stenting on medial vascular cell populations

Dr. Milad Ghasemi

PhD Candidate

Mechanical Assessment of the Risk of Atherosclerotic Plaque Rupture in Carotid Arteries with a Focus on Damage Accumulation

Dr. Behrooz Fereidoonnezhad

Postdoctoral Research Fellow

Computational Modelling

Sam Geraghty

Research Master's

Optimisation and 3D Printing of Paediatric Stents

Jemil Saidi

MSc Student

Optimisation and 3D printing of Titanium paediatric stents

Noor Adeebah Mohamed Razif

MSc Student

Combining Ultrasound Displacement Imaging with Inverse Finite Element Analysis to Characterise Atherosclerotic Lesion in Carotid Artery using PVA Phantom

Matthew Laffey

MSc Student

Itziar Ríos Ruiz

Visiting PhD Student

Quantification of mechanical damage in blood vessels caused by stent expansion

Helena Brech

Research Assistant

Development of an at-home blood collection supporting device in collaboration with P&M Medical Ltd (www.hometesting.ie).

James Murphy

MAI Student

The development of a suitable surrogate model for the investigation of the biomechanics of an atherosclerotic artery using polyvinyl alcohol cryogel, ultrasound imaging and finite element analysis.

Desmond McCarthy

MAI Student

Exploring the suitability of different melt electrowriting (MEW) structures for biomimetic polymeric heart valve leaflets.

Claire Lemass

MAI Student

The development of a urological benchtop model for urinary sphincter testing and design.

Alice Hanly

MAI Student

Derbhla McMullan

MAI Student

Optimisation and 3D printing of polymer paediatric stents

Floriane Bernasconi

Research Internship

Interested parties are welcome to contact us to discuss self funding opportunities via:

  • Irish Research Council Postgraduate Fellowships
  • Marie Sklodowska Individual Fellowships

Vacancies image
FibreRemodel 

Frontier research in arterial fibre remodelling for vascular disease diagnosis and tissue engineering

Summary

Each year cardiovascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and aneurysms cause 48% of all deaths in Europe. Arteries may be regarded as fibre-reinforced materials, with the stiffer collagen fibres present in the arterial wall bearing most of the load during pressurisation. Degenerative vascular diseases such as atherosclerosis and aneurysms alter the macroscopic mechanical properties of arterial tissue and therefore change the arterial wall composition and the quality and orientation of the underlying fibrous architecture. Information on the complex fibre architecture of arterial tissues is therefore at the core of understanding the aetiology of vascular diseases. The current proposal aims to use a combination of in vivo Diffusion Tensor Magnetic Resonance Imaging, with parallel in silico modelling, to non-invasively identify differences in the fibre architecture of human carotid arteries which can be directly linked with carotid artery disease and hence used to diagnose vulnerable plaque rupture risk. Knowledge of arterial fibre patterns, and how these fibres alter in response to their mechanical environment, also provides a means of understanding remodelling of tissue engineered vessels. Therefore, in the second phase of this project, this novel imaging framework will be used to determine fibre patterns of decellularised arterial constructs in vitro with a view to directing mesenchymal stem cell growth and differentiation and creating a biologically and mechanically compatible tissue engineered vessel. In silico mechanobiological models will also be used to help identify the optimum loading environment for the vessels to encourage cell repopulation but prevent excessive intimal hyperplasia. This combination of novel in vivo, in vitro and in silico work has the potential to revolutionise approaches to early diagnosis of vascular diseases and vascular tissue engineering strategies
  • Lally Lab, Department of Mechanical, Manufacturing & Biomedical Engineering Parsons Building Trinity College Dublin, Dublin 2