ENGR3630: Transport in Biological Systems
Fall 2015
Alisha Sarang-Sieminski
Course Overview
Transport phenomena play a vital role in numerous biological processes. For example, the blood flow patterns arising from the
particular geometry of branching blood vessels are thought to drive the formation of atherosclerotic plaques. Mass transport plays a role in events such as tissue differentiation during development, oxygenation of blood in the lungs, and glomerular
filtration in the kidneys. The entire field of drug delivery has been driven and advanced by understanding transport of
pharmacological agents within biomaterials and tissues. Further, combination of fluid and mass transport allow us to
understand flow through porous media which is critical for understanding problems such as delivery of chemotherapeutics and
tumor metastasis. The roles of transport in understanding and treating cancer will be a theme throughout this course. We will
study and analyze mathematical models of these key biological problems using both analytical and computational tools.
Through a series of readings and projects, this course will combine engineering fundamentals of mass, energy, and momentum
conservation with modeling approaches to enhance exploration and understanding of fluid and mass transport within the
body. This course will be of value to students interested in biology, mathematical modeling, and bioengineering.
Instructor: Alisha Sarang-Sieminski
Room MH 256
Phone 781-292-2553
alisha@olin.edu
Class Sessions: Monday and Thursday 10:50-12:30, AC318 Office Hours: By appointment.
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