Rachel Hillner
Bio
Focus/Research: Geometric Deep Learning for Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD). CFD is a popular tool used in biomedical engineering to better understand how blood traverses different geometries within the human body. For instance, it can provide great insight to how abnormalities and surgical implants impact blood flow, i.e., blood flow in aneurysms and in a LVAD (left ventricular assist device) implanted LV (left ventricle). However, CFD can be quite time consuming and computational expensive, thus making patient specific investigations difficult. We are looking to train a neural network to predict blood flow through a variety of geometries, thus minimizing computational expense and making patient specific analysis feasible in a clinical setting.
I particularly enjoy BME because of the vast applications relevant to the challenges healthcare faces today. In my free time I enjoy playing soccer (I am a member of the women’s soccer team), spending time outside, and FaceTiming my parents so I can talk to my dogs at home.
Education
- Graduating Class Faculty Honors Award: a prestigious award given to three graduating students per class
- Four year continuous Dean's List
- Magna Cum Laude, Undergraduate Class of 2022
