BME PhD Defense Announcement for Elnaz Ghajar-Rahimi (C. Goergen, advisor) Everyone is invited to attend the public presentation beginning at 2:00 PM. Title: Cardiovascular Remodeling via 4D Ultrasound in Murine Pressure and Volume Overload [cid:image002.jpg@01DC3F65.98B8D8D0] Date: 10/31/2025 Time: 2:00 PM Location: MJIS 2001 and Zoom Zoom link: https://purdue-edu.zoom.us/j/94185143126<https://nam04.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fpurdue-edu.zoom.us%2Fj%2F94185143126&data=05%7C02%7Cbmeroundtable-list%40ecn.purdue.edu%7Cbf99bdbf017d4edc1bf408de0dbe6eaa%7C4130bd397c53419cb1e58758d6d63f21%7C1%7C0%7C638963308720530956%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=45DQba3Xm5HL8RFCHAdjgIjrMLTwedviM74iH4jLvw8%3D&reserved=0> Committee: * Craig Goergen, PhD (advisor)- Purdue University, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering * Fiona Kolbinger, PhD- Purdue University, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering * Vitaliy Rayz, PhD- Purdue University, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering * Pierre Sicard, PhD- L'Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale * Kyoko Yoshida, PhD- Purdue University, Weldon School of Biomedical Engineering Abstract: In the United States alone, heart failure occurs in approximately 6.7 million adults and accounts for 14.6% of all deaths. Among its many pathologies, pressure and volume overload impose distinct stresses on the heart. Both forms of overload initiate compensatory remodeling that, if unresolved, becomes decompensated and progresses to heart failure. In states of volume overload, such as during pregnancy and lactation, increased blood volume elevates left ventricular filling pressure. This prompts the heart to increase stroke volume and undergo eccentric hypertrophy characterized by ventricular dilation. In contrast, pressure overload, as seen in hypertension and aortic constriction, increases afterload and results in decreased stroke volume with concentric hypertrophy, defined by ventricular wall thickening. Despite these well-established physiological responses, the factors governing cardiac remodeling during normotensive pregnancy, pregnancy complicated by pre-existing hypertension, lactation, and following pressure overload recovery remain poorly understood. To address these gaps, we characterized left ventricle remodeling in three murine models: 1) a novel reversible transverse aortic constriction model to study recovery from pressure overload, 2) a longitudinal model of pregnancy and lactation to examine adaptations to volume overload, and 3) a model of pregnancy with pre-existing hypertension to explore combined pressure and volume overload. Left ventricular function, geometry, and strain were assessed using two- and four-dimensional high-frequency ultrasound imaging. Findings from these studies provide new insights into cardiac adaptation and recovery under a variety of physiological and pathological loading conditions, establishing a foundation for future research into cardiac adaptation and maternal cardiovascular health. -- Bmeroundtable-list mailing list Bmeroundtable-list@ecn.purdue.edu https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/mailman/listinfo/bmeroundtable-list