Dr. Michael Sacks is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering at The University of Texas at Austin. He is a world authority on cardiovascular biomechanics, particularly on the biomechanical behavior and function of heart valves and developing patient-specific simulation-based approaches for the treatment of valve diseases. His research is based on rigorous quantification, mathematical modeling, and simulation of the mechanical behavior of the cells and tissues of the cardiovascular system in health and disease. His approaches include multi-scale studies of cell/tissue/organ, especially how they mechanical interact as a system. Dr. Sacks is also active in the biomechanics of engineered tissues and scaffolds and in understanding the in-vitro and in-vivo remodeling processes from a functional biomechanical perspective.Dr. Jun Liao is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Texas at Arlington. Dr. Liao is an expert in tissue biomechanics and bioengineering, with interests in heart valves, cardiac muscle, and many other soft tissues. His research focus is to better understand the role of biomechanics in maintaining optimal tissue performance in physiological conditions and the biomechanical abnormality in diseased conditions, aiming to improving tissue replacement, repair, and medical intervention for diseases. Dr. Liao is a member of BMES, ASME, and AAAS and a Fellow of the American Heart Association.
