Artificial Organs 33(10):779–780, Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2009, Copyright the Author Journal compilation © 2009, International Center for Artificial Organs and Transplantation and Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Editorial
Dr. Akif Ündar Named Co-Editor of Pediatric Mechanical Support this investigation clearly documented how pulsatile flow improved regional and global cerebral blood flow, cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen, and cerebral oxygen delivery decreased cerebral vascular resistance compared to the conventional clinical set-up. Dr. Ündar’s aspiration for biomedical engineering was and still is to help underserved populations. The pathophysiology of CPB procedures and MCSS in pediatric patients is woefully underinvestigated. In addition, private companies have shown very little interest in developing new pediatric heart-lung machines, MCSS, oxygenators, and cannulas because of the very small market when compared to adult patients. This deficit is further compounded by the small number of US pediatric centers conducting research on minimizing the adverse effects of CPB and MCSS in the pediatric population. In response to this important need, Dr. Ündar strives to develop novel technologies and methodologies to be used in minimizing the adverse effects of CPB and MCSS in neonates, infants, and small children. At the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital and the Penn State Hershey College of Medicine, Dr. Ündar founded the Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Laboratories in 2003. Collaboration in multiple disciplinary teams (from the Departments of Pediatrics, Surgery, Bioengineering, Anesthesiology, Comparative Medicine, Public Health Sciences, and Pharmacology) combines basic science research, engineering, and clinical applications with a common focus on pediatric open-heart procedures, and pediatric MCSS. Members of this multidisciplinary research team including faculty members, medical and engineering students, and postdoctoral fellows have completed dozens of experimental protocols using different types of pulsatile pumps, membrane oxygenators, arterial filters, and aortic cannulae in in vivo and in vitro settings. He and his team have identified an optimal pediatric heart-lung machine, which produces both pulsatile and nonpulsatile flow, and membrane oxygenator combination in terms of minimal organ injury during pediatric open-heart surgery. Currently, these new devices are used for
Dr. Akif Ündar is an internationally known expert on minimizing adverse effects of open-heart procedures and mechanical circulatory support systems (MCSS) in children. He uses his biomedical engineering background and combines it with basic science and clinical and translational research. During Dr. Ündar’s first semester as a graduate student at the University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX, USA, he completed a course entitled “Cardiovascular Dynamics.” This course would serve as the catalyst for his cardiovascular research academic career focus. Because of the passion he had for this research and biomedical engineering, he was able to complete his PhD degree with a dissertation entitled “Design and performance of physiologic pulsatile flow cardiopulmonary bypass systems for neonates and infants” in 23 months. In his dissertation, Dr. Ündar designed a new alternate physiological pulsatile flow pump system with a suitable oxygenator and an aortic cannula for newborns weighing less than 5 kg. This system was compared with a conventional nonpulsatile cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) circuit in 39 piglets with a deep hypothermic circulatory arrest model at the research laboratory of Ross Ungerleider, MD, Chief of Pediatric Cardiac Surgery, at the Department of Surgery at Duke University Medical Center, Durham, NC, USA. The results of 779
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pediatric cardiac patients at the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. In addition to national collaborations, he has created several international collaborations with many institutions/hospitals around the globe. Dr. Ündar’s research projects have been continuously supported by federal and private health organizations. As a result of the laboratories’ productivity, the Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Laboratories have been converted to an international research center. The Penn State Hershey International Center for Pediatric Cardiovascular Research has been established in collaboration with multiple disciplinary teams (the Departments of Pediatrics, Surgery, Bioengineering, Anesthesiology, Comparative Medicine, Public Health Sciences, Pharmacology, Obstetrics and Gynecology, and any other disciplines related to cardiovascular research) to combine basic science research, engineering, and clinical applications with the focus on pediatric cardiovascular research. Dr. Ündar has an outstanding publication record. To date, he has authored and co-authored over 366 publications (162 articles and 204 abstracts) including numerous editorials. In addition to being an editor for the Proceedings of the International Conference on Pediatric Mechanical Circulatory Support Systems and Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Perfusion, Dr. Ündar is a reviewer for several cardiothoracic surgery journals in addition to artificial organ journals. He has served on several national and international advisory boards, including National Institutes of Health’s study sections, and has served several professional societies on various levels. Dr. Ündar has presented over 150 scientific papers, including invited lectures, keynote lectures, and visiting professorships around the globe. Additionally, he has organized several scientific panels on pediatric CPB procedures and MCSS for numerous national and international conferences. Dr. Ündar is a mentor for several medical and engineering students as well as postdoctoral fellows. He is also a training faculty member for the Penn State Clinical and Translational Sciences Education
Artif Organs, Vol. 33, No. 10, 2009
and Training group and MD/PhD Program, and is a faculty mentor for the Summer Undergraduate Research Internship Program. He is a member of the Pediatric Promotion Committee and Departmental Scholarship Oversight Committee and mentors junior faculty members in the Department of Pediatrics. Dr. Ündar participates on the clinical team of the Pediatric Innovation Program Committee of the Penn State Hershey Children’s Hospital. He is an interviewer for medical school candidates of the Penn State College of Medicine and dedicates 25% of his time to his teaching and mentoring responsibilities each year. Dr. Ündar is also the founder and scientific chair of the International Conference on Pediatric Mechanical Circulatory Support Systems and Pediatric Cardiopulmonary Perfusion (http://www.hmc.psu.edu/ childrens/pedscpb/). To date, this international event is the only conference solely dedicated to pediatric cardiac devices used during acute and chronic mechanical circulatory support. No other national or international conference precisely defines the problems of pediatric cardiac patients or suggests solutions with new methodologies and devices for pediatric patients, specifically for neonates and infants. The primary focus of the conference is to explicitly describe the problems with current pediatric MCSS, methods, and techniques during acute and chronic support. Over 1,250 participants (approximately 250 participants each year) from 27 countries have participated in the 2005 through 2009 events. The 2010 Conference will take place on May 6–8 in Boston, MA, USA. I am pleased to make this introduction to our readership of Dr. Ündar as Co-Editor, Pediatric Mechanical Support. We look forward to many years of rewarding and successful collaboration. Paul S. Malchesky, D.Eng. Editor-in-Chief 10 W. Erie Street, Suite #200 Painesville, OH 44077, USA E-mail:
[email protected]
