Mary D. (Molly) Frame (McMahon), Ph.D.
Professor and Undergraduate Program Director
Research Focus
Our emerging understanding of oxygen delivery to the tissues is that the blood flow
within the smallest arterioles is tightly organized within repeating networks across
the tissue. Central to this new paradigm are the concepts of vascular communication
between the beginning and end of the network (via gap junctions), and its relation
to flow sensing by the vascular endothelium (flow mediated dilation). In the normal
resting state, flow distribution into successive branches along a central feed occurs
with most flow (red blood cells, RBC) going to the first branch and successively less
for sequential branch arterioles. This RBC distribution is linked to the total area
of tissue fed by downstream capillaries, and ensures a uniform oxygen delivery. In
inflammatory states, the flow distribution is significantly altered; RBC are shunted
through the central feed with most flow going to the furthest most branch downstream.
Oxygen delivery is not uniform. Further, both gap junctional activity and flow sensing
are impaired. This occurs in a wide range of inflammatory states that includes: diabetes,
obesity, pharmacologically induced inflammatory states, and inflammation that accompanies
thermal wounds. Ongoing work targets the molecular basis for these abrupt and significant
changes in flow distribution. The arterioles at this level are ~2 times the diameter
of the RBC – hence they are large particles relative to the size of the tube in which
they travel (the arteriole). The 3-D architecture of the arteriolar branch point affects
how easily the RBC passes to that branch. Additionally, at this level the flow itself
is viscous driven, with a low inertial component (Re <1). The independent impact of
the flow properties and the particle:tube dimensions is studied in vitro in microchannels,
where the relevant rheological factors can be scaled and controlled. Our work employs
computational modeling of the fluid mechanics, the physiology of arteriolar network
blood flow (in vivo and in vitro), and precise genomic manipulation of key proteins in healthy and vascular disease
states.
Education
- Ph.D. (Physiology), 1990, University of Missouri-Columbia
- A.B. (Biology), 1980, University of Missouri-Columbia
Academic Appointments
- 2017 – current: Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.
- 2004 – 2017: Associate Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.
- 2002 – 2004: Assistant Professor, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Physiology and Biophysics, Institute of Molecular Cardiology, Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, New York.
- 2001 – 2002: Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Center for Cardiovascular Research, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
- 1996 – 2001: Assistant Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Department of Pharmacology and Physiology, Center for Cardiovascular Research, University of Rochester, Rochester, NY
Publications
- Click here to search Mary D. Frame’s Google Scholar listings
- Click here to search Mary D. Frame's (MD Frame) PubMed listings
COURSES TAUGHT (SBU only)
- BME 100 – Introduction to Biomedical Engineering
- BME 200 – Bioengineering in Extreme Environments
- BME 205 – Clinical Challenges for the 21st Century
- BME 213 – Introduction to Nanotechnology
- BME 371 – Biological Microfluidics
- BME 381 – Nanofabrication in Biomedical Applications
- BME 430 – Quantitative Physiology
- BME 545 – Cell Physiology/Biophysics (module I)
- BME 571 – Microfluidics in Biological Systems
- BME 603 – Advanced Quantitative Human Physiology
- HBY 564 – Animal Handling (modules)
- ITS 102 – Nanomedicine
- ITS 102 – What is Biomedical Engineering?
- SSO 102 – Ethics of Tissue Engineering