Impacts or blasts from explosions can lead to potentially damaging shear waves in the brain, which can change the shape or deform brain tissue. Brain tissue is a complex material, mechanically reinforced by the fibers that carry signals between brain cells. A team led by Philip V. Bayly, PhD, the Lee Hunter Distinguished Professor and chair […]
Researchers are learning more about what leads to traumatic brain injury, though they have to be creative to work around limited access to the brain. “You can’t study traumatic brain injury by running around hitting people on the head,” said Ruth Okamoto, DSc, teaching professor in mechanical engineering & materials science in the McKelvey School […]
When the human head experiences any kind of movement — from nodding yes or no to heading a soccer ball or being jolted in a car crash — the brain moves inside the skull, leading to deformation of the tissue. Such deformations are key to understanding traumatic brain injury but are challenging to study since […]
Naval warfighters may be exposed to explosions, impacts or high accelerations that increase their risk for traumatic brain injury. A team of researchers led by Philip Bayly, PhD, at Washington University in St. Louis plans a comprehensive study of skull-brain mechanics using imaging, computer and preclinical models to study the strains and stresses of the […]
Philip V. Bayly, PhD, an innovative researcher of waves and oscillations in the mechanics of cells and biological tissues, has been named the inaugural Lee Hunter Distinguished Professor in the McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis. Bayly, who has been chair of the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science since […]
In the face of the COVID-19 pandemic, a diverse team of makers from across Washington University in St. Louis’ Danforth and Medical campuses, Barnes-Jewish Hospital and BJC HealthCare have come together to protect front-line health-care workers and employees on the ground. “With the surge of COVID-19 patients we’re expecting, we want to make sure doctors, […]
To help meet the increasing need for personal protective equipment (PPE) for health care workers on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic, staff at McKelvey School of Engineering at Washington University in St. Louis are making use of the state-of-the-art facilities in the Spartan Light Metals Makerspace to create face shields for those treating […]
Football isn’t just a contact sport — it’s a dangerous game of massive bodies colliding into one another. And while it may seem obvious that this sport can do extraordinary damage to brains and bodies, it’s taken far too long for the NFL, the medical community, and football fans to fully reckon with this. Doctors […]
Philip Bayly has spent years trying to figure out the best way to jiggle a brain. The mechanical engineer is part of a team of researchers at Washington University studying how a jolt to the head can shake the brain — the kind of injury a football player suffers when crashing into an opponent. Using […]
Traumatic brain injury and chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) have become common in athletes who suffer repeated blows to the head. Most recently, former New England Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski revealed that he had sustained about 20 concussions during his nine-year career in the National Football League. Now, a team of researchers nationwide, led by Philip […]
Human bodies have some built-in systems to care for themselves. The cells that line our lungs, nose, brain and reproductive system have cilia, which are tiny, hair-like structures designed to sweep out fluids, cells and microbes to stay healthy. But the mechanisms behind their motion are not well understood. The team of researchers (clockwise, from […]
From NPR’s Morning Edition… It was a question about soccer that got Philip Bayly interested in brain injuries. Bayly, a mechanical engineer at Washington University in St. Louis, was approached by several doctors who wanted advice about some young soccer players they were treating. “They said, ‘Well, we’ve got some kids who have concussions and […]
From Physics online… A numerical study suggests that head impacts primarily induce a few low-frequency, damped modes of vibration in brain tissue, a finding that could inform the design of sports helmets. Strike a bell or a drum and its sound will be dominated by a few vibrational patterns (“modes”), each of which has a […]
Examining brain folds — as unique to an individual as fingerprints — could hold key to new diagnostic tools From the WashU Newsroom… During the third trimester, a baby’s brain undergoes rapid development in utero. The cerebral cortex dramatically expands its surface area and begins to fold. Previous work suggests that this quick and very vital […]