email: leonard.browne@ul.ie
Partner: University of Limerick
Leonard Browne is qualified with a Bachelor of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering from the Department of Mechanical, Aeronautical and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Limerick. He has continued his education in the field of biomedical engineering by undertaking a PhD investigating the hemodynamics of vascular access with the Centre for Applied Biomedical Engineering at The University of Limerick after been awarded an Irish Research Council for Science, Engineering and Technology (IRCSET) Postgraduate Scholarship in 2010. He is currently a research fellow at the University of Limerick and is currently seconded to Vascular Flow Technologies (UK) as part of the ReDVA project.
Research Topics: Computational Fluid dynamics, vascular access, remodelling, and maturation
Research Field
His primary research focuses on the influence of hemodynamics on vascular disease and failure associated with arteriovenous fistulae required for hemodialysis. Arteriovenous fistulae (AVFs) are the preferred access choice of hemodialysis patients due to lower infection and stenosis rates. However, they are prone to complications during remodelling and have a high incidence of primary failure during this process. Thrombotic occlusion resulting from aggressive intimal hyperplasia and impaired remodelling reduce flow rates at the access site are the two major causes of patency loss.
His work aims at developing a strategy to longitudinal assesses the influence of hemodynamics on structural changes associated with arteriovenous fistula remodelling. The strategy involves the use of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) which allows for the study of blood flow within vessels as it can approximate analytically complex flow fields. This will help elucidate the role of hemodynamics in remodelling and in the development of detrimental intimal hyperplasia.
Publications:
- Bashar K, Healy D, Browne LD, Kheirelseid EAH, Walsh MT, et al. Role of Far Infra-Red Therapy in Dialysis Arterio-Venous Fistula Maturation and Survival : Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis PLOSone 2014;9:1-11
- Browne L, O’Callaghan S, Hoey D, Griffin P, McGloughlin T, Walsh M. Correlation of Hemodynamic Parameters to Endothelial Cell Proliferation in an End to Side Anastomosis. Cardiovascular Engineering and Technology 2014; 5:110-118.
- Steinman et al., Variability of Computational Fluid Dynamics Solutions for Pressure and Flow in a Giant Aneurysm: The ASME 2012 Summer Bioengineering Conference CFD Challenge, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 135(2).
Education:
2010 – Present: University of Limerick – Postgraduate Doctoral Student
2006 – 2010: University of Limerick – Bachelor of Engineering in Biomedical Engineering (1.1 Hons)