# Computational Biomechanics Modeling of Inflammation

> **NIH NIH R35** · UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME · 2022 · $391,250

## Abstract

Project Summary/Abstract
The physical laws that govern the universe also govern the healthy functioning of living tissues, as well as the
genesis and development of diseases. Historically, the biomedical research community has overlooked the role
of mechanics in many developmental, pathological, and adaptive processes. In my research group, the Compu-
tational Mechanics of Morphology at Notre Dame (CoMMaND Lab), we work at the intersection of mechanics,
computation, and biology, to investigate the coupled bio-mechanical behaviors of tissues and organs, particularly
during growth and remodeling. In this proposal, we aim to extend our work to the study of inflammatory swelling.
Similarly to growth, inflammation and swelling involve local changes in mass (for instance, due to an influx of
cells) which can manifest as changes in volume. While external swelling is often used as an indicator of under-
lying inflammation, constraints from surrounding tissue can also restrict swelling and instead result in increases
in pressure. In addition, inflammation can drastically change the cellular composition of a tissue. Inflammation is
widespread among different tissues, and these sequelae can have important implications for the diagnosis, de-
velopment, and treatment of different diseases. We will developing novel computational models of inflammation
and swelling that 1) allow for cell behavior to vary spatially, temporally, and by cell type; 2) account for mechanical
interactions between the swelling tissue and surrounding tissues; and 3) report results in a way that facilitates
calibration, validation, and comparisons with experimental. This work will provide tools for probing small-scale
phenomena beyond large-scale swelling, exploring the effects of individual parameters, and testing hypotheses
regarding the biomechanics of inflammation in silico.
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## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10499414
- **Project number:** 1R35GM147029-01
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME
- **Principal Investigator:** Maria Holland
- **Activity code:** R35 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2022
- **Award amount:** $391,250
- **Award type:** 1
- **Project period:** 2022-09-21 → 2027-07-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10499414

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10499414, Computational Biomechanics Modeling of Inflammation (1R35GM147029-01). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10499414. Licensed CC0.

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