Understanding Brain Mechanics Through Computer Simulation

Justin Wan, PhD
Assistant Professor
David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science
University of Waterloo

February 8, 2006
12:30 PM - 1:30 PM
Davis Centre 1304, University of Waterloo

View Video of Presentation in HI Alive Archive: Research Seminars Archive 2005-2006

Abstract
In this talk, we will discuss the use of computer simulation models to study brain mechanics in trauma and brain diseases. In a car crash, the brain gets damaged when it strikes the interior of the skull, causing bruising and bleeding of the brain. It has been observed that not just the front part of the head (point of contact) gets injured but also the back of the head. There are several different theories that try to provide explanations to account for this phenomenon. In this talk, we will provide numerical simulation results to verify the validity of these theories. We will also discuss the brain mechanics of hydrocephalus, a medical condition caused by an abnormal accumulation of cerebrospinal fluid within the ventricles inside the brain. The main treatment protocol involves draining the excess fluid by inserting a shunt into the ventricles. However, failure could occur if the shunts are blocked by the swelling and deflation of the brain tissue. We will discuss how computer modelling is used to help predict the ventricle shape and eventually lead to lower failure rate. Simulation issues such as image registration will also be discussed.

Biosketch
Justin Wan is an Assistant Professor in the David R. Cheriton School of Computer Science. He joined the University of Waterloo in 2001 from Stanford, where he was a Forsythe Fellow from 1998 to 2000. The recipient of numerous academic prizes, he was awarded an Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Doctoral Dissertation Fellowship and the Croucher Foundation Scholarship, among others. In his research, Justin Wan develops advanced numerical techniques for solving efficiently and accurately partial differential equations arising from medical simulation, scientific visualization, image processing and computational finance. Currently, he is supervising six PhD and Master's students on various computational projects.