Using image processing to study physiology in iPSC-derived micro-heart muscle arrays

Mentor: Nathaniel Huebsch, Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering

Lab description: We use induced pluripotent stem cells, micro-fabrication and image processing technologies to study how mechanical stress combines with genetics to trigger the pathophysiology and molecular signatures of genetically inherited cardiomyopathy.

Project: The student will work with Huebsch lab team members to form arrays of cardiac micro-tissues derived from human induced pluripotent stem cells, perform high speed video microscopy of the tissues and use Matlab coding routines to convert these videos into information on tissue-level contractility, voltage and calcium handling. He/she will also assist in structural and biochemical analysis of the tissues and gain proficiency in these techniques.