Kerem Pekkan, PhD

Dr. Kerem Pekkan has dedicated his bioengineering training and research career to investigating and improving the hemodynamics of pediatric congenital heart diseases and their complex reconstructive surgeries. This has been achieved through close collaborations with clinicians, physician-scientists, developmental biologists, and bioengineers. Dr. Pekkan has published over 130 peer-reviewed papers and is an inventor on six international patents, establishing a broad portfolio of pediatric device development. He is funded through NSF CAREER, AHA, EMBO and European Research Council. Specifically, his work includes neonatal cardiopulmonary bypass cannulation methods and devices, ECMO systems, stents, and ventricular assist devices and blood pumps. The pre-surgical design software and customized pediatric heart valves developed in his laboratory are now in clinical use. Motivated by the goal of improving outcomes for children with heart defects, Dr. Pekkan has spent the past 25 years training students from diverse disciplines and leading dedicated research teams in cardiovascular engineering. His work focuses on biological fluid and soft tissue mechanics, bio-inspired design, cardiovascular biology, and embryonic development. Most of Dr. Pekkan’s former trainees (23 PhDs and 12 postdocs) have gone on to faculty or highly competitive research positions. Dr. Pekkan strives for high-impact, cutting-edge research that contributes to both engineering and the biological sciences, assisting clinicians in improving the health and quality of life of patients with severe cardiovascular conditions.