Defining Neural Impact Tolerances
Traumatic brain injuries are caused by excessive levels of physical force acting on neural cells within the brain during an impact.
Understanding and establishing physical stress and strain injury thresholds is thus paramount for successful diagnosis, prevention and protection against brain injuries.
By carefully replicating the structural features of neural cells and their networks in the laboratory, we are able to study and dissect how cells respond to impact forces and tissue deformations in real-time.
By employing state of the art 3D imaging and engineering technologies we are able to detect how and at what critical stress and strain levels cellular injury is initiated.
Once determined, these physical injury threshold parameters will be utilized either directly or via finite element computer simulations to guide the development of next-generation personal protective gear, safety standards and guidelines.