Carnegie Mellon University

P. Sang Chalacheva

Dr. P. Sang Chalacheva

Assistant Teaching Professor, Biomedical Engineering

Address
Scott Hall 4N117
Carnegie Mellon University
5000 Forbes Avenue
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

Education

  • B.S., Texas A&M University, 2007
  • M.S., University of Southern California, 2010
  • Ph.D., University of Southern California, 2014

Bio

Patjanaporn “Sang” Chalacheva is an Assistant Teaching Professor in Biomedical Engineering. She received her B.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from Texas A&M University and her M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Biomedical Engineering from University of Southern California. She continued working at University of Southern California, in conjunction with Children’s Hospital Los Angeles, as a postdoctoral research associate under the supervision of Dr. Michael C.K. Khoo (Biomedical Engineering) and Dr. Thomas Coates (Hematology). Her research involves computational modeling of cardiovascular autonomic control in sickle cell disease and sleep-related breathing disorders.

Research

Sickle cell disease, an inherited blood disorder, is characterized by episodes of painful vaso-occlusive crisis caused by obstruction of blood flow due to sickling of red blood cells. Ample evidence suggests autonomic dysfunction in sickle cell disease, and it is known that autonomic control plays a major role in blood flow regulation. Computational modeling approaches are applied to non-invasive measurements in humans to gain better insight into the involvement of the autonomic nervous system in the genesis of vaso-occlusive crisis. The most salient features of the model are extracted to represent biophysical markers of autonomic impairment that are subsequently correlated with clinical outcomes. Other applications of this approach include sleep-related breathing disorders and metabolic syndrome.

Research Interests: Computational modeling, cardiovascular system, autonomic nervous system, sickle cell disease, pain

  

Awards and Recognition

  • Member and Communications Coordinator of the Cardiopulmonary Systems Technical Committee, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society
  • NSF Fellowship, Mathematics Research Communities Conference on Mathematics in Physiology and Medicine (2016)

 

  • Student Paper Competition Finalist, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Conference 2013
  • Kennedy-Bolton Scholarship, Texas A&M University (2005 – 2007)