Fluid–structure interactions (FSI) play a central role in the mechanics and function of many biological systems. This talk focuses on the development and application of predictive computational models to investigate the coupled behavior of biological flows and deformable tissues, with applications to cardiovascular biomechanics and human phonation. In these systems, the fluid-saturated nature of biological tissues introduces additional interactions among tissue deformation, interstitial flow, and mass transport, leading to complex multiphysics problems.
I will discuss mathematical and computational frameworks that couple fluid dynamics, tissue mechanics, porous-media flow, and transport processes. Particular attention will be given to the governing equations, interface coupling, and numerical strategies used to solve these strongly coupled problems, including monolithic and partitioned approaches and their computational implementation. Selected applications will illustrate how these models have been used to study aortic disease and vocal fold biomechanics, including tissue oxygenation and perfusion, vocal fold vibration, and the effects of vascular lesions on phonatory function.
These high-fidelity models also introduce significant computational challenges as biological geometry, material properties, and pathological features are varied. I will conclude by discussing emerging directions in reduced-order modeling, sensitivity analysis, and uncertainty quantification, as well as opportunities for connecting application-driven biomechanical models with advances in numerical analysis and scientific computing.