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Raffaella De Vita

Professor and Associate Department Head
  • Department of Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics
  • College of Engineering

Synopsis:

Dr. De Vita is the director of the Soft Tissue Research: Experiments, Theory, and Computations (STRETCH) lab in the Biomedical Engineering and Mechanics Department. Her research focuses primarily on characterizing the mechanical properties of biological systems ranging from cellular components to tissues, with special emphasis on the development of new experimental, theoretical, and computational methods.

Description:

The common thread that runs through much of Dr. De Vita’s work is her interest in advancing fundamental and mechanistic knowledge of biological systems. Over the past years, she has been working in the field of female reproductive biomechanics, an emerging field that has been historically under-researched in spite of the growing public health need. By integrating experiments with theory, she has characterized the micro-structure and mechanical properties of reproductive organs and their supportive tissues. These properties play a crucial role in both the development and the treatment of pelvic floor disorders such as urinary incontinence, fecal incontinence, and prolapse. Dr. De Vita also works on several projects in the broader area of mechanics and materials science. These projects provide invaluable opportunities for cross-fertilization of ideas which tremendously benefit her primary research interest in biomechanics.