A new $199,746 grant from the American Heart Association (AHA) is fueling innovative research at Hofstra aimed at transforming how damaged blood vessels are repaired.
The two-year award, running from January 1, 2026, through December 31, 2027, supports work led by Nicholas Merna, associate professor of engineering, along with co-principal investigators Edward Currie, associate professor of engineering, and John Vaccaro, associate professor of engineering. The team is developing small-diameter vascular grafts, tube-like structures used to replace or bypass blocked arteries using plant-based materials.
Heart disease remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and while synthetic grafts are commonly used, they often fail in small diameters because the inner lining does not heal properly and can trigger clot formation. Merna’s lab is exploring a promising alternative: scaffolds made from decellularized leaves. These plant-based structures are inexpensive, widely available, and naturally contain tiny channels capable of supporting vascular cell growth.
“Our goal is to engineer a graft that behaves more like a blood vessel,” said Merna. “By combining the natural architecture of plant tissues with controlled mechanical flow and electrical stimulation, we’re working to strengthen the graft before implantation so it can better integrate and function inside the body.”
Using a custom-built bioreactor, the team will seed the grafts with vascular cells and expose them to gentle, bloodlike flow and pressure. The researchers will then introduce mild electrical stimulation to encourage cells to form a strong, functional lining – a critical factor in preventing clotting and keeping the graft open. The optimized grafts will ultimately undergo testing in an animal model to evaluate performance and tissue integration.
Hofstra students are central to the project. Ten undergraduate bioengineering majors are contributing during the academic year and summer, preparing plant scaffolds, fabricating grafts, operating the bioreactor system, and analyzing results.
“This grant highlights the power of engineering innovation to address critical health challenges,” said Dean Sina Rabbany, DeMatteis School of Engineering and Applied Science. “By merging sustainable materials with cutting-edge biomedical engineering, Dr. Merna’s team is advancing a new paradigm in vascular repair while creating exceptional research opportunities for our students. This work reflects Hofstra’s growing leadership in impactful, interdisciplinary research.”
This project advances the goals of the Hofstra 100 strategic plan by strengthening interdisciplinary research, expanding experiential learning for students, and pursuing applied scholarship that improves lives.
