Dr. Polacheck leads two classes at UNC and NCSU, both of which are open to undergraduates and graduate students:
BMME315 - Biotransport - Spring Semester at UNC
Quantification and modeling of mass, momentum, and heat transfer in biomedical systems. Topics include Fick’s laws, conservation of mass equations, molecular transport through membranes, porous media, Stokes-Einstein relations, boundary layer theory, mass transfer coefficients, heat transfer rate equations, conservation of energy, steady-state and transient heat transfer, and cutting-edge examples from the current literature in vascular biology and cancer.
BMME490/890 - Bioinspired Engineering - Fall Semester at UNC
This course is intended for upper-level undergraduate and entry-level graduate students. The overall objective of this course is to use mathematical analysis tools to understand and quantitatively describe the strategies employed by natural and living systems to solve physical and mechanical problems. Informed by this analysis, we will employ engineering design principals to determine how the strategies developed by nature could be adopted to solve modern biomedical and environmental challenges. The class is divided into 3 physical domains: solid mechanics, fluid mechanics, and transport. For each domain, we will review relevant physics and engineering concepts prior to highlighting key approaches taken by nature, which will be covered through discussion of peer-reviewed primary literature. Examples will cross biological kingdoms and length scales and include the flapping of insect wings, synthesis of human organs-on-chip, and the transport of electrical charge in fish regeneration. Students will undertake a design-focused project with both group and individual components, which will focus on the development of a finite element model. The project will incorporate a quantitative assessment of a natural solution applied to a current engineering problem and a final design portfolio using a bioinspired approach.
Coming Fall of 2022: Biofluid Mechanics - Fall Semester at UNC
More information coming soon. If interested in taking or TAing the class, please email Dr. Polacheck.