top of page
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.
BMME555 - Biofluid Mechanics - Fall Semester at UNC
This course is intended for upper-level undergraduate and entry-level graduate students. Living systems are comprised mostly of fluid and exist in fluidic environments. Adaptation has resulted in elegant structures and systems to harness the physics and mechanics of fluids to provide evolutionary advantage. The overall objective of this course is to use mathematical analysis tools to understand and quantitatively describe static and dynamic fluids and the strategies employed by natural and living systems to solve fluid 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 structured to include didactic and design components, and we 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 wings, cardiovascular hemodynamics, and cellular locomotion. Students will undertake a design-focused assignment with both group and individual components. This mini project will incorporate quantitative design and assessment of a system to accomplish an outstanding problem in biofluid mechanics.
​
bottom of page