People

Research Interests

Dr. Kenneth R. Lutchen, is Dean of the College of Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Boston University. He received his B.S. in Engineering Science from the University of Virginia, in 1977 and the M.S. and Ph.D. in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 1980 and 1983, respectively.

Dr Lutchen is one of the world’s leading biomedical engineers in the field of pulmonary physiology. His research focuses on advancing our understanding of lung physiology. His has produced over 100 peer-reviewed journal articles and has advanced novel experimental and computational based methods for probing the structure-function relations governing lung disease, particularly asthma, emphysema, and ventilator induced lung injury. He has also patented new methods to perform mechanical ventilation. He has given nearly 50 invited talks throughout the world on his research.

Dean Lutchen has been a faculty member of Boston University since 1984. He was Chair of Biomedical Engineering from 1998-2006. During that time Dr. Lutchen was the Principal Investigator and chief architect of a $14 million dollar Leadership Award from the Whitaker Foundation. He was also the Principal Investigator of Translational Research Partnership Award from the Coulter Foundation. Bostoun University is the only institution in the nation to have received both awards. He conceived and attracted an NIH Pre-Doctoral Graduate Student Training Grant in Quantitative Biology and Physiology. During his Chairmanship in BME, the faculty size has grown from 22 to 32, extramural funding has increased from $8 million to over $24 million per year, and the graduate program has nearly doubled in size. The Department’s ranking in US News and World Report improved from 18th to 7th .

Dr. Lutchen is an accomplished educator. Between 1992 and 1997. For the past 20 years Dr. Lutchen has directed the department’s year long renown Senior Project Program. This Program synthesizes technical communication skills with independent research, design, and innovation and leads to a final conference attended yearly by over 60 representatives from Bioengineering companies. Dr. Lutchen has been the recipient of the College of Engineering’s Professor of the Year Award and the Biomedical Engineering Professor of the Year Award - twice, all via election by students.

Dr. Lutchen is currently Vice President of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) which represents some 36,000 Bioengineers. He was formally Secretary/Treasurer of AIMBE and Chair of the Academic Council. He has served on the board of directors of the Biomedical Engineering Society, and is one of that society’s inaugural fellows. From 2001-2002 he was the President of the Council of Chairs in (Undergraduate) Bioengineering and Biomedical Engineering. Dr. Lutchen also has served on scientific advisory board, review panels and study sections for the Whitaker Foundation, National Science Foundation and National Institutes of Health and for several bioengineering departments and colleges of engineering nationwide.

Current Research

Dr. Lutchen’s research focuses on advanced novel experimental and computational based methods for probing the structure-function relations governing lung disease, particularly asthma, emphysema, and ventilator induced lung injury. He has 95 journal publications, has patented new methods to perform mechanical ventilation, and has given nearly 50 invited talks. His research is funded by NIH, NSF and private industry.

Selected Recent Publications

Satoru, I., Majumdar, A., Kume, H., Shimokata, K., Naruse, K., Lutchen, K. R., Stamenović, D., Suki, B.  "Viscoelastic and dynamic nonlinear properties of airway smooth muscle tissue: roles of mechanical force and the cytoskeleton" Am. J. Physiol. Lung Cell Mol. Physiol. 290: L1227-L1237 (2006)

Suki, B., S. Ito, D. Stamenovic, K.R. Lutchen, E.P. Ingenito  "Invited Review: Biomechanics of the lung parenchyma: critical roles of collagen and mechanical forces." J Appl. Physiol. 98: 1892-1899 (2005)

Ito, S., E.P. Ingenito, K.K. Brewer, L.D. Black, H. Parameswaran, K.R. Lutchen, B. Suki  "Mechanics, nonlinearity, and failure strength of lung tissue in a mouse model of emphysema: possible role of collagen remodeling." J Appl. Physiol. 98: 503-511 (2005)

Bellardine, C.L., E.P. Ingenito, A. Hoffman, F. Lopez, W. Sandborn, B. Suki, K.R. Lutchen  "Relating heterogeneous mechanics to gas exchange function during mechanical ventilation" Annls. Biomed. Eng. (in press): (2005)

Suki, B.S., S.Ito, D. Stamenovic , K.R. Lutchen, E. P. Ingenito  "Biomechanics of the lung parenchyma: critical roles of collagen and mechanical forces. Highlighted Topic; Invited Review" J. Appl. Physiol. 98: (2005)

Dellacà, R.L., L. Black, H. Atileh, A. Pedotti, K. R. Lutchen  "Effects of posture and bronchoconstriction on low frequency input and transfer impedances in humans" J. Appl. Physiol. 97: 119-129 (2004)