- PhD (2010-14) Research Faculty, Department of Surgery, U-M
- PhD (2008-10) Development Engineer, Accord Biomaterials, Michigan
- PhD (2008) Material Science Engineering, Wayne State University, MI
- B.S.(2002) Delhi College of Engineering, India
In the Lab
Blood/material interaction is critical to the success of implantable medical devices, ranging from simple catheters, stents and grafts, to complex extracorporeal artificial organs which are used in thousands of patients every day. There are two major limiting factors to clinical application of blood contacting materials: 1) platelet activation leading to thrombosis, and 2) infection. Despite a thorough understanding of the mechanisms of blood–surface interactions, and decades of bioengineering research effort, the ideal non-thrombogenic prosthetic surface remains an unsolved problem. An equally significant problem is that 1 out of every 20 central venous catheters results in at least one infection, and up to 40% of all indwelling catheter devices become infected. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that roughly 1.7 million hospital-associated infections, from all types of bacteria combined cause up to 99,000 deaths each year and $28-$45 billion/year associated costs.
Our research is highly translational and interdisciplinary in nature. Our multidisciplinary team is developing biocompatible coatings for medical device applications. We are working towards fundamental understanding of cell/protein-surface biomolecular interactions, developing and optimizing novel biomaterials and testing these materials in appropriate animal models. Due to the critically important nature of this research field, we have been funded by NIH (via academic and industrial grants). The novel materials we are developing could lead to a significant improvement in existing medical devices by reducing complications due to fouling, thrombosis, and infection and potentially decreasing morbidity, mortality, and costs by shortening hospital stay while increasing survival. Visit the Handa Research Group
Research Interest
- Translational Research
- Nitric Oxide Releasing Materials
- Wound Healing Materials
- Biomaterials for Medical Device Applications
- Blood-Material Interactions
- Hemocompatible Materials
- Antibacterial Coatings
- Microfluidics
- Tissue Engineering
- Animal Models