9702088 Margulies The primary objective of this integrated research and educational plan is to develop research and educational programs that span the interdisciplinary chasm between the level of the cell and the organ, with an emphasis on the effects of applied physical forces on function and structure. The research plan is a first step towards the long-term goals of understanding the deformations of the epithelial lining of the lung in vivo, and determining the effects of these deformations on the lung's adverse effects. Barotrauma, or the presence of extra-alveolar air after rupture of over-distended alveoli, is the consequence of a sustained mechanical ventilation with large tidal volumes. The overall hypothesis is that the alveolar epithelial lining of the lung is vulnerable to injury from large static and dynamic deformations during mechanical ventilation. The research plan relates mechanical deformation to disruption of the epithelial surfactant-producing and barrier properties of the lung using in vitro cell culture studies, mathematical models, and in vivo experimental studies. The long-term goal of the educational component of the career development plan is to create Bioengineering graduate courses that integrate fundamental engineering theories with biomedical applications. Three courses will be developed: 1) a course in integrated cardiothoracic physiology that brings together basic knowledge and recent research findings from the molecular, cellular and organ levels to correlate cellular and molecular mechanisms with macroscopic functional responses; 2) a course in viscoelastic tissue behavior and large strain measurement techniques and analysis; and 3) experimental design and analysis, and scientific responsibility. The dual mission of the integrated research and educational career development plan is to meet the growing need for research and educational opportunities that cut across disciplines to answer fundamental scientific questions. ***
