Cardiothoracic surgery resident pursues doctorate in bioengineering
by Roxanna Van Norman
Yuanjia Zhu, MD is interested in developing solutions to enhance surgical outcomes and exploring how processes and technology can be improved in the operating room - particularly ways to advance surgical devices or streamline complex operations.
Recently, Dr. Zhu and her research team evaluated bicuspid aortic valve biomechanics using a cow aortic valve mounted in a pig-sized fixture in a 3D-printed heart simulator. They examined data from the heart simulator to better understand the use of surgical repair techniques in patients with diseased aortic valves.
"That's the beauty of our simulators. We can systematically test different cardiac operations," said Dr. Zhu. "For a patient with a particular valvular pathology, we could see if one operation compared to another is better, and with that data, we can apply the findings directly in the operating room."
Dr. Zhu is a resident in the Integrated Cardiothoracic Surgery Training Program in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and a postdoctoral research fellow in Joseph Woo, MD, laboratory at the Stanford School of Medicine. She is also a third-year PhD student in the Department of Bioengineering. Biomechanical analysis of surgical operations mentioned above is just one of many of her research interests.
Dr. Zhu received her undergraduate degree in biomedical engineering from Northwestern University. While pursuing her medical degree at the Cleveland Clinic Lerner College of Medicine, she continued to be fascinated by the field of biomedical engineering and the potential impact it has on surgical outcomes.
After completing medical school and seeing how research and innovation can advance the field of cardiothoracic surgery, Dr. Zhu wanted to continue her path of becoming an academic surgeon. She was interested in obtaining an advanced degree in bioengineering to help her in that trajectory.
"It is a privilege to have the opportunity to work with so many talented engineering students and clinicians on a variety of different projects that can have immediate impact on patients - this is the beauty of working in a translational surgical engineering lab."
While interviewing for residency programs, Dr. Zhu was curious how program directors would respond to her aspiration for pursuing a master's degree or a doctorate while simultaneously completing her residency.
"When I came to Stanford, I asked if it was possible to get an advanced degree while in the residency program," said Dr. Zhu. She learned that the Stanford Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery was supportive of individuals interested in pursuing advanced degrees while in the program.
"That made me feel pretty good, and I was very happy when I was matched here," said Dr. Zhu. She accepted her residency at Stanford and concurrently enrolled in the PhD program through the Department of Bioengineering.
Working on multiple research projects in a clinical environment has been a unique opportunity for Dr. Zhu, now a resident and a PhD student in the Departments of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Bioengineering, respectively.
“It is a privilege to have the opportunity to work with so many talented engineering students and clinicians on a variety of different projects that can have immediate impact on patients - this is the beauty of working in a translational surgical engineering lab," said Dr. Zhu. She is currently three years into her research project and a full-time researcher. She is in progress to completing her doctorate program.
"Given my unique circumstance, I have been able to explore many research projects, and I'm grateful for all the resources that Dr. Woo and the department have provided," said Dr. Zhu.
For example, one of Dr. Zhu's projects investigates biomechanics and fluid dynamics of mitral valvular disease models and optimizes its surgical repair techniques. She and her research team invented a new mitral repair device that reduces the size of the mitral valve while allowing the natural mitral annulus motion. This device was further tested in a pre-clinical large animal model on cardiopulmonary bypass.
Her other research interests include designing 3D-bioprinted heart tissues and developing a cyanobacteria-based hydrogel to help damaged hearts and heal ischemic wounds. Dr. Zhu points out her wide range of research interests in cardiovascular medicine would not have been possible if not for the resources and laboratory access within the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery.
"It shows how supportive Dr. Woo and the whole department are about your work," said Dr. Zhu. She encourages prospective residents or students thinking about coming to Stanford to ask departments about their research opportunities and resources.
"If you are thinking about advanced degrees, look at the program that you're applying to and see if they have any relationship with the department that you're thinking about pursuing a degree in," said Dr. Zhu.
"Our Cardiothoracic Surgery department has a great relationship with the Department of Bioengineering, which [showcases the interdisciplinary and collaborative culture at Stanford]."