M. K. Rausch

This paper develops a self-fitting vaginal stent using shape-memory polymer foams that expand at body temperature to prevent vaginal stenosis, demonstrating effective shape recovery and retention in a simulated model.

This paper measures the mechanical properties of whole blood clots using Volume Controlled Cavity Expansion and finds that a 1-term Ogden model captures their nonlinear elasticity, with a significant decrease in shear modulus after 2 days of storage.

This study investigates the mechanisms of right ventricular stiffening in pulmonary hypertension using a large animal model, finding that myocardial stiffness is the primary contributor.

This study investigates age- and sex-dependent changes in skin mechanics in mice using mechanical testing, histology, collagen assays, and two-photon microscopy, revealing sex differences in stiffness that emerge with age.

This study experimentally investigates the thermo-mechanical behavior of skin under heat, revealing anisotropic shrinkage and force generation during collagen denaturation.

This paper tests two models of skin thermo-mechanics to explain how skin responds to superphysiological temperatures by linking collagen denaturation to mechanical behavior.

This study shows tricuspid valves maladapt in a sheep model of heart failure, leading to structural and mechanical changes that may contribute to tricuspid regurgitation.

This study shows that mechanical deformation of fibrin induces structural changes that affect its biochemistry and platelet interactions, revealing a mechano-chemical feedback loop.

This paper develops an in-vitro thrombus mimic from whole blood and tests its mechanical behavior under simple shear, finding strain-stiffening and the Ogden model provides the best fit.

This study uses coherent Raman microscopy to examine how shear and tensile forces affect fibrin molecular structure at different strain levels.

This study identifies and quantifies dissipative mechanisms in whole blood clots under various mechanical tests, revealing phenomena similar to hydrogels that are critical for understanding thrombus fracture.