Dr. Brittany Bannish Laverty, University of Central Oklahoma
The seminar this week will be given by Dr. Brittany Bannish Laverty from University of Central Oklahoma at 2pm Pacific Time today. Blood clots are critical to prevent bleeding, but dangerous complications such as heart attack and stroke can arise when clots are not degraded effectively. A clot is composed of red blood cells and platelets held together by a mesh of fibrin fibers. The conditions in which a clot forms impact the resulting clot structure, hence the ease with which the clot is enzymatically degraded. I will present a stochastic multiscale model of clot degradation that includes structural and biochemical details from the single fiber to full clot scales. I will discuss several modifications of the model that we have used successfully to investigate the effects of fiber spacing, fiber diameter, clot composition, and enzyme concentration on clot degradation and on the effective diffusion of enzymes through the clot. Additionally, I will highlight how mathematical modeling can be used in tandem with laboratory experimentation to yield physiological insights that were impossible with models or experiments alone. Ultimately, the goal of this work is to elucidate the mechanisms underlying clot degradation so that safer and more effective stroke treatments can be developed. Join the seminar through the link provided below.