Overview:

This conference is the capstone event in the Special Year of Emphasis on Mathematical Modeling in Cardiovascular Mechanics being held in the Mathematics Department at Texas A&M University during the period September 2003-May 2004. Cardiovascular mechanics is a vital area of biomechanics devoted to modeling processes and structures pertaining to the human circulatory system. The focus of the conference is the study of mathematical models of materials (e.g. arteries and veins, cardiac tissue) and processes (e.g. fluid/solid interactions, blood rheology and chemistry, heart function, growth and adaptation of blood vessel and heart tissue) involved with the onset, progression and treatment of diseases of the circulatory system. The scope is intentionally broad in order to include faculty and students interested in both fluid and solid mechanics as applied to the cardiovascular system.

The conference will have both a conference and workshop structure. The morning session will consist of two hour long lectures by featured speakers, whereas the afternoons will be divided among sessions of shorter contributed talks, poster presentations, workshop discussions and tutorials. A major goal of the conference is to introduce students, postdocs and others to the exciting opportunities for mathematicians, bioengineers and medical researchers to work collaboratively to better understand and treat cardiovascular disease.