The Laboratory of Applied Biofluids/DACCPM/MGH is the site of most of our research. Our interest is centered in the application of bioengineering techniques to the study of the cardiopulmonary function. In recent years, our focus was the use of mathematical modeling and tracer kinetics analysis to the development of positron emission tomography (PET) techniques to study lung structure, function and inflammation.

Our current efforts are dedicated to two interconnected areas. The first, fundamentally bioengineering based, corresponds to the development of experimental and computational tools for the study of PET images. The second area of study is related to the application of the PET techniques to understand and optimize treatment of experimental and human cardiopulmonary disease.

Our results revealed, for the first time using imaging techniques, the bimodal ventilation-perfusion distributions that are predicted theoretically and obtained experimentally with a standard non-imaging technique (multiple inert gases, MIGET).

Recently, we started projects on Clinical Research in Cardiac Anesthesia. Investigations include:

a) pulmonary function after off-pump and on-pump coronary artery bypass surgery in moderate to severe obstructive pulmonary disease

b) neurocognitive dysfunction after cardiac surgery assessed with Positron Emission Tomography

c) mathematical modeling of the cardiovascular system using radial artery waveforms

d) a phase III drug study in patients with HIT/HITTS Type II undergoing off-pump coronary artery bypass (OPCAB) surgery

e) a multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, placebo-controlled study of 2mg/kg bolus plus 24-hour 0.05 mg/kg/hr infusion of Pexelizumab in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass