# CAREER: A Unified Multiscale Computational Approach to Model Vein Graft Failure

> **NSF 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT** · Iowa State University (IA) · $500,000

## Abstract

Coronary artery disease is the leading cause of death in the United States. One common treatment is the coronary bypass surgery, which is performed on about 350,000 patients in the United States each year. This surgery is considered the gold standard treatment for patients with disease in multiple coronary arteries. Vein grafts are used as bypass conduits in majority of these surgeries and have unacceptably high failure rates leading to reoperation and increased risk of complications. The underlying mechanisms of vein graft failure remain poorly understood. This Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) project will use computer models of blood flow and blood vessels to understand these mechanisms of adaptations at different biological length scales. The computer models will also provide a framework for virtually testing biotechnologies and therapies for improving vein graft performance. In addition, the project includes educational programs to train students in these computer modeling tools, apply them to other blood vessel related diseases and strengthen biomedical engineering education through new educational modules and training opportunities.

Coronary vein graft remodeling is a complex process influenced by multiple factors, including hemodynamic loads, inflammation and surgical trauma. Understanding how these factors interact across biological scales to determine the vein graft outcomes remains a major challenge. Recent advances in multiscale computational models of vascular adaptation can help gain insights into these adaptations; multiscale computational models allow for precise and controlled manipulation of individual contributing factors (either independently or in combination) while physics-based multiscale models can provide mechanistic insights across spatial and temporal scales. This project integrates several complementary modeling approaches to capture vein graft remodeling across biological levels. Specifically, it combines a vascular fi

## Key facts

- **NSF award ID:** 2543650
- **Awardee organization:** Iowa State University (IA)
- **SAM.gov UEI:** DQDBM7FGJPC5
- **PI:** Abhay Bangalore Ramachandra
- **Primary program:** 01002627DB NSF RESEARCH & RELATED ACTIVIT
- **All programs:** BIOMECHANICS, MB-Mechanobiology, CAREER-Faculty Erly Career Dev, EXP PROG TO STIM COMP RES, GRADUATE INVOLVEMENT
- **Estimated total:** $500,000
- **Funds obligated:** $500,000
- **Transaction type:** Standard Grant
- **Period:** 08/01/2026 → 07/31/2031

## Primary source

NSF Award Search: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2543650

## Citation

> US National Science Foundation, Award 2543650, CAREER: A Unified Multiscale Computational Approach to Model Vein Graft Failure. Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-07-05 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nsf/2543650. Licensed CC0.

---

*[NSF Awards dataset](/datasets/nsf-awards) · CC0 1.0*