UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
Research Field: Cardiovascular Disease
Each year, about 55,000 Australians have a heart attack – about one every 10 minutes.
Many of these tragically occur as a result of blood clots that obstruct and block blood flow
back to the heart.
Dr Lining Arnold Ju does research to look for solutions to better diagnose, treat and control
heart disease, by analysing the mechanical forces in molecules and cells that drive blood
flow, so that we can better understand how this affects our health. This field of work is called
mechanobiology and Arnold applies these engineering principles to understanding
cardiovascular system at the molecular and cellular scales.
Arnold has invented new biomechanical nanotool that allows him to discover that disturbed
blood flow in a person’s veins and arteries generates mechanical forces that can rapidly
trigger blood clotting, which can lead to a heart attack. Through his discovery of these
mechanosensory proteins, he can efficiently prevent disease-forming clots.