The evaluating committee was unanimous in awarding the prize to Dr Anna Corti, now postdoctoral researcher at Politecnico di Milano.
Every year, the VPHi proudly sponsors an award to recognise the best thesis in the field of in silico medicine among those discussed in the previous year. This recognition aims to honor exceptional research contributions that advance the understanding and application of computational modeling in healthcare.
This year, the evaluating committee had the challenging task of reviewing 10 applications. After careful deliberation and assessment, the committee reached a unanimous decision to grant the award to Anna Corti, a postdoctoral researcher from Politecnico di Milano, for her thesis titled "Multiscale Modeling of Vascular Adaptation."
As she presented during the VPHi Summer School in Barcelona on the 5th June 2023, Anna's thesis delves into the intricate processes of atherosclerosis and restenosis, which are complex vascular adaptation phenomena influenced by systemic, biological, and biomechanical factors. These processes involve a network of interconnected, heterogeneous mechanobiological events occurring at various spatiotemporal scales. However, a comprehensive understanding of the underlying causes and mechanisms of these adverse processes remains elusive.
From a biomechanical perspective, both hemodynamic and structural forces play pivotal roles in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and restenosis by influencing cellular activity. In Anna's research, she developed a multiscale agent-based modeling framework to investigate the mechanobiological mechanisms governing arterial wall remodeling in atherosclerosis and restenosis following endovascular procedures. In particular, the validated patient-specific framework of in-stent restenosis was able to predict the short- and long-term arterial response to the endovascular intervention in patient-specific stented SFAs, by considering post-operative hemodynamic and inflammatory-related monocyte gene expression effects on cellular dynamics.
Anna Corti's thesis opens new avenues for understanding the intricate interplay between biomechanics and vascular adaptation processes. Her research holds significant potential in advancing the diagnosis, treatment, and management of atherosclerosis and restenosis, ultimately contributing to the realm of personalised medicine.
"I am very honored that my PhD thesis has been awarded with this recognition, I would like to thank the evaluating committee and the VPH Institute for the opportunity to present my research at the 7th VPH Summer School" said Anna at the end of her talk.
Anna Corti is a Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Dept. of Electronics, Information and Bioengineering of Politecnico di Milano (Italy). She obtained the PhD in Bioengineering at Politecnico di Milano in July 2022. Before her current position, she worked as Post-Doctoral Researcher at Dept. of Chemistry, Materials and Chemical Engineering “G. Natta” of Politecnico di Milano until April 2023. During her doctoral studies, her research focused on the development of multiscale computational frameworks simulating vascular cell dynamics and arterial wall remodeling in response to mechanical and biological cues, through the integration of continuum and discrete modeling approaches. Currently, her research mainly focuses on image analysis, radiomics and artificial intelligence methods in cancer and cardiovascular research.
