People
Principal Investigator
Yi (Jason) Hua, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
Dr. Hua is currently the head of The Vision Laboratory at the University of Mississippi. He has extensive expertise in biomechanics, specializing in both biosolids and biofluids. His research primarily focuses on the role of biomechanics in visual impairment and dysfunction caused by diseases and injuries that affect the eye, the brain, or the optic nerve connecting them.
Dr. Hua's research methods include:
Computational modeling, which includes finite element analysis, meshfree methods, and computational fluid mechanics
Imaging techniques such as polarized light microscopy (PLM), confocal microscopy, optical coherence tomography (OCT), laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI), and super-resolution ultrasound
Image processing including segmentation, digital image correlation (DIC), and digital volume correlation (DVC)
Macro and micro-mechanical testing of tissues
Shock tube experiments
Dr. Hua's educational background includes a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Nantong University, China in 2008. He then obtained his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, China in 2011. He completed his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in 2016, under the supervision of Prof. Linxia Gu, who is currently at Florida Tech.
From 2016 to 2023, Dr. Hua worked as a postdoctoral fellow in the Laboratory of Ocular Biomechanics at the University of Pittsburgh, under the guidance of Prof. Ian Sigal. During this period, Dr. Hua received a fellowship from the BrightFocus Foundation to study blood flow and oxygenation in the optic nerve head located at the back of the eye.
After completing his postdoctoral fellowship, Dr. Hua joined the University of Mississippi and established The Vision Laboratory.
Undergraduate Students
Christina Nguyen
(Major: Biomedical Engineering)
(Major: Biomedical Engineering)
Christina joined the lab in March 2023. She is currently developing computational models to simulate whole-eye deformations in response to elevated intraocular pressure. This project is supported by the Stamps Impact Prize.
Through this project, Christina will acquire and refine the following techniques:
3D model construction in SolidWorks
Mesh generation in HyperMesh
Finite element simulations in Abaqus
Statistical analysis
Image analysis
Scientific writing & presentation
Lindee Wilson
(Major: General Engineering)
(Major: General Engineering)
Lindee joined the lab in March 2023. She is currently developing computational models to simulate the deformation of the lamina cribrosa collagen architecture under elevated intraocular pressure.
Through this project, Lindee will acquire and refine the following techniques:
3D model construction in SolidWorks
Material point method
Statistical analysis
Image analysis
Scientific writing & presentation
Krish Patel
(Major: Biomedical Engineering)
(Major: Biomedical Engineering)
Krish joined the lab in May 2023. He is currently modeling blood flow and oxygen transport in the optic nerve head. This project is supported by the Mississippi Space Grant Consortium.
Through this project, Krish will acquire and refine the following techniques:
Programming skills such as C, C++, and Python
Computational fluid dynamics (CFD) analysis
Image analysis
Scientific writing & presentation
Isen Furr
(Major: Biomedical Engineering)
(Major: Biomedical Engineering)
Isen joined the lab in January 2024. He is currently developing an ex vivo pressure and flow control system capable of independently regulating intracranial pressure around the optic nerve, intraocular pressure within the eye, and blood flow within the posterior ciliary arteries. This project is supported by the Mississippi Space Grant Consortium.
Through this project, Isen will acquire and refine the following techniques:
Design of pressure monitoring and control system
Tissue processing
Image analysis
Scientific writing & presentation
McKinley Cunningham
(Major: Mechanical Engineering)
(Major: Mechanical Engineering)
Co-advised by Dr. Damian Stoddard, assistant professor from the Department of Mechanical Engineering
McKinley joined the lab in January 2024. She is currently working on a project studying blast-induced ocular trauma.
Through this project, McKinley will acquire and refine the following techniques:
Shock tube experiments
High-speed imaging
Digital image correlation and tracking
Scientific writing & presentation
Former Students
Sarah Sawaya (Undergraduate, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Spring 2023 - Summer 2023)
Daniella Beiner (Undergraduate, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Spring 2023)
Aaron “Levi” Hayes (Undergraduate, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Spring 2023)