Rei Ukita is a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Thoracic Surgery at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC). He received his undergraduate degree in Biomedical Engineering at Brown University and a PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Carnegie Mellon University. He worked as a postdoctoral research fellow at VUMC prior to his current appointment as research faculty.
Dr. Ukita has worked on small and large animal model systems to test and develop novel extracorporeal support systems. His PhD work focused on biomaterial and drug delivery approaches to reduce the thrombogenicity of artificial lungs. As a postdoctoral fellow, Dr. Ukita developed the large animal model for pulmonary hypertension and right ventricular failure. His current research interests include hemodynamics and molecular mechanisms of right ventricular failure, wearable extracorporeal support systems, and safer anticoagulation therapies for extracorporeal support.
