Ender A. Finol

Associate Research Professor, ICES

Courtesy Appointments, Mechanical Engineering, Biomedical Engineering

Bio

Prof. Finol's research focuses on fluid mechanics as related to medical applications, soft tissue biomechanics, computational biomechanics for cardiovascular diseases, design and optimization of medical devices, algorithm development for 3D segmentation and reconstruction of medical images.

The primary research interest of the Vascular Biomechanics and Biofluids Laboratory is to investigate the dynamics of blood flow and its relationship with disease. During the past decade, biofluid mechanics has become recognized by researchers in medicine and biology as a key factor in the cause of arterial disease and the regulation of haemostasis in normal and diseased blood vessels. The ability to model biological flow systems experimentally and numerically is now an important component to fundamental research of vascular disease. It is of great interest to both clinical researchers and bioengineers to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of flow-induced parameters in arterial geometries under diverse flow conditions. Image-based modeling techniques and numerical methods can provide quantification of flow and structural variables for select regions of interest. With the continuous improvement of computer architecture and the development of sophisticated modeling tools, we envision large-scale computational solutions of a multiphysics problem being used by physicians as diagnostic tools in the future. To assess the role of blood flow and its relationship with disease there is need to (i) develop and apply computational, experimental, and theoretical methods to evaluate vascular structures and assess their physiological environment in diseased and interventional scenarios; (ii) implement methods for the design and optimization of medical devices in endovascular therapies; (iii) generate transferable technology for its ultimate use in a clinical setting; and (iv) disseminate results to the scientific community. This is the mission of the Finol research group operating under the umbrella of the Vascular Biomechanics and Biofluids Laboratory (VBBL).

Education

B.E. 1994, Universidad de Carabobo (Venezuela)

M.S. 1997, University of Massachusetts, Lowell

Ph.D. 2002, Carnegie Mellon University

Selected Publications

• Martufi, G., Di Martino, E.S., Amon, C.H., Muluk, S.C., and Finol, E.A., 2008, "Three-dimensional geometrical characterization of abdominal aortic aneurysms: image-based wall thickness distribution," Computers in Medicine and Biology, submitted.
• Siewiorek, G.M., Wholey, M.H, and Finol, E.A., 2008, "Vascular resistance in the carotid artery: an in vitro investigation of embolic protection filters," Journal of Vascular and Interventional Radiology, accepted.
• Scotti, C.M., Jimenez, J., Muluk, S.C., and Finol, E.A., 2008, "Wall stress and flow dynamics in abdominal aortic aneurysms: finite element analysis vs. fluid-structure interaction," Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 11, No. 3, pp. 301-322.
• Siewiorek, G.M., Eskandari, M.K., and Finol, E.A., 2008, "The Angioguard^TM embolic protection device," Expert Review of Medical Devices, Vol. 5, No. 3, pp. 287-296.
• Finol, E.A., Siewiorek, G.M., Scotti, C.M., Wholey, M.H, and Wholey, M.H., 2008, "Wall apposition assessment and performance comparison of distal protection filters," Journal of Endovascular Therapy, Vol. 15, No. 2, pp. 177-185.
• Siewiorek, G.M., Wholey, M.H, and Finol, E.A., 2007, "In vitro performance assessment of distal protection devices for carotid artery stenting: effect of physiologic anatomy on vascular resistance," Journal of Endovascular Therapy, Vol. 14, No. 5, pp. 712-724.
• Scotti, C.M. and Finol, E.A., 2007, "Compliant biomechanics of abdominal aortic aneurysms: a fluid-structure interaction study," Computers and Structures, Vol. 85, Nos. 11-14, pp. 1097-1113.
• Valencia, A., Guzman, A., Finol, E.A., and Amon, C.H., 2006, "Blood flow in saccular aneurysm models of the basilar artery," ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, Vol. 128, No. 4, pp. 516-526.
  
  
• Scotti, C.M., Shkolnik, A.D., Muluk, S.C., and Finol, E.A., 2005, "Fluid-structure interaction in abdominal aortic aneurysms: Effects of asymmetry and wall thickness," Biomedical Engineering OnLine, Vol. 4, No. 64.
• Finol, E.A., Keyhani, K., and Amon, C.H., 2003, "The effect of asymmetry in abdominal aortic aneurysms under physiologically realistic pulsatile flow conditions," ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, Vol. 125, No. 2, pp. 207-217.
• Finol, E.A. and Amon, C.H., 2003, "Flow dynamics in anatomical models of abdominal aortic aneurysms: Computational analysis of pulsatile flow," Acta Científica Venezolana, Vol. 54, No.1, pp. 43-49.
• Finol, E.A. and Amon, C.H., 2002, "Flow-induced wall shear stress in abdominal aortic aneurysms: Part II - pulsatile flow hemodynamics," Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 319-328.
• Finol, E.A. and Amon, C.H., 2002, "Flow-induced wall shear stress in abdominal aortic aneurysms: Part I - steady flow hemodynamics," Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 5, No. 4, pp. 309-318.
• Finol, E.A. and Amon, C.H., 2001, "Blood flow in abdominal aortic aneurysms: Pulsatile flow hemodynamics," ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, Vol. 123, No. 5, pp. 474-484.