Chiara Bellini

Associate Professor and Associate Chair for Graduate Studies,  Bioengineering

Contact

Office

  • 228 ISEC
  • 617.373.2550

Research Focus

Diseases of the cardiovascular system; effects of cellmediated growth and remodeling processes on tissue and organ mechanics

Education

  • 2012 PhD in Biomedical Engineering, The University of Calgary
  • 2008 MSc in Biomedical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy
  • 2005 BSc in Biomedical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy

Research Overview

Diseases of the cardiovascular system; effects of cellmediated growth and remodeling processes on tissue and organ mechanics

Selected Research Projects

Selected Publications

  • Augustin, Christoph M., Fastl, Thomas E., Neic, Aurel, Bellini, Chiara, Whitaker, John, Rajani, Ronak, O’Neill, Mark D., Bishop, Martin J., Plank, Gernot, Niederer, Steven A. (2020). The impact of wall thickness and curvature on wall stress in patient-specific electromechanical models of the left atrium. Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology, 19(3),1015-1034. 10.1007/S10237-019-01268-5
  • Boytard, Ludovic, Hadi, Tarik, Silvestro, Michele, Qu, Hengdong, Kumpfbeck, Andrew, Sleiman, Rayan, Fils, Kissinger Hyppolite, Alebrahim, Dornazsadat, Boccalatte, Francesco, Kugler, Matthias, Corsica, Annanina, Gelb, Bruce E., Jacobowitz, Glenn, Miller, George, Bellini, Chiara, Oakes, Jessica, Silvestre, Jean-Sébastien, Zangi, Lior, Ramkhelawon, Bhama (2020). Lung-derived HMGB1 is detrimental for vascular remodeling of metabolically imbalanced arterial macrophages. Nature Communications, 11(1). 10.1038/S41467-020-18088-2
  • Dong, Melody, Oakes, Jessica M., Bellini, Chiara, Rayz, Vitaliy L., LaDisa, John F., Parker, Dave, Wilson, Nathan M., Shadden, Shawn C., Marsden, Alison L., Goergen, Craig J., Boster, Kimberly A. Stevens (2020). Integrated Image-Based Computational Fluid Dynamics Modeling Software as an Instructional Tool. Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 142(11). 10.1115/1.4047479
  • Farra, Yasmeen M., Eden, Matthew J., Coleman, James R., Kulkarni, Praveen, Ferris, Craig F., Oakes, Jessica M., Bellini, Chiara (2020). Acute neuroradiological, behavioral, and physiological effects of nose-only exposure to vaporized cannabis in C57BL/6 mice. Inhalation Toxicology, 32(5),200-217. 10.1080/08958378.2020.1767237
  • Fitzgerald, Jessica E., Byrd, Brook K., Patil, Roshani A., Strawbridge, Rendall R., Davis, Scott C., Bellini, Chiara, Niedre, Mark (2020). Heterogeneity of circulating tumor cell dissemination and lung metastases in a subcutaneous Lewis lung carcinoma model. Biomedical Optics Express, 11(7),3633. 10.1364/BOE.395289
  • Mueller, Amy V., Eden, Matthew J., Oakes, Jessica M., Bellini, Chiara, Fernandez, Loretta A. (2020). Quantitative Method for Comparative Assessment of Particle Removal Efficiency of Fabric Masks as Alternatives to Standard Surgical Masks for PPE. Matter, 3(3),950-962. 10.1016/J.MATT.2020.07.006
  • Spronck, Bart, Ferruzzi, Jacopo, Bellini, Chiara, Caulk, Alexander W., Murtada, Sae-Il, Humphrey, Jay D. (2020). Aortic remodeling is modest and sex-independent in mice when hypertension is superimposed on aging. Journal of Hypertension, 38(7),1312-1321. 10.1097/HJH.0000000000002400
  • A. Korneva, L. Zilberberg, D.B. Rifkin, J.D. Humphrey, C. Bellini, Absence of LTBP-3 Attenuates the Aneurysmal Phenotype But Not Spinal Effects on the Aorta in Marfan Syndrome, Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology, 18(1), 2019,261-273
  • C. Bellini, N.J. Kristofik, M.R. Bersi, T.R. Kyriakides, J.D. Humphrey, A Hidden Structural Vulnerability in the Thrombospondin-2 Deficient Aorta Increases the Propensity to Intramural Delamination, Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedial Materials, 71, 2017, 397-406
  • C. Bellini, M.R. Bersi, A. Caulk, J. Ferruzzi, D.M. Milewicz, F. Ramirez, D.B. Rifkin, G. Tellides, H. Yanagiswa, J.D. Humphrey, Comparison of Ten Murine Models Reveals a Distinct Biomechanical Phenotype in Thoracuc Aortic Aneurysms, Journal of the Royal Society Interface, 14(130), 2017

Faculty

Feb 01, 2024

Faculty and Staff Awards 2024

The College of Engineering recognized faculty and staff at the annual faculty and staff awards event and thanked everyone for their hard work and dedication in support of our students, college, and university during the 2023-2024 academic year. View award recipients and photo gallery.

PhD

Jan 31, 2024

BioE PhD Student Receives 2024 AHA Predoctoral Fellowship

BioE PhD candidate Ana Vargas, who works in the labs of both MIE Associate Professor Rouzbeh Amini and BioE Associate Professor Chiara Bellini, was selected by the American Heart Association to receive a Predoctoral Fellowship for her project “Pregnancy Induced Mechanobiological Remodeling in Maternal Vasculature in Health and Disease.”

Undergraduate

Jan 11, 2024

Announcing Spring 2024 PEAK Experiences Student Awardees

A record number of engineering students and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of Northeastern’s Spring 2024 PEAK Experiences Awards.

Undergraduate

Dec 21, 2023

Moving Toward a Future in Bioengineering Research

By succeeding academically, thriving in two co-ops, participating in student groups, and working with a mentor, Hannah Kim, E’24, bioengineering, is set to pursue an advanced degree with a research focus on tissue mechanics and tissue biology.

Faculty

Sep 15, 2023

Announcing Fall 2023 PEAK Experiences Awardees

Several engineering students and science students mentored by COE faculty are recipients of Northeastern’s Fall 2023 PEAK Experiences Awards. Projects this fall are tackling a range of topics and modes with students developing an autobiographical zine, studying the development of amphibian limbs, building better rocket parts, and more. BASE CAMP AWARDS Farhad Ibrahimzade COE’26 & […]

PhD

Jul 12, 2023

Vargas Selected as Runner-Up in SB3C Student Paper Competition

Bioengineering graduate student Ana I. Vargas, PhD’24, was chosen as the runner-up in the Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, & Biotransport Conference (SB3C) Student Paper Competition for the “Morphogenesis, Maternal/Abdominal Health” competition category.

Faculty

Jul 05, 2023

The Cardiovascular and Respiratory Effects of E-cigarettes and Cigarettes

BioE Associate Professors Chiara Bellini and Jessica Oakes received a $3.8 million NIH grant for “Cardiopulmonary Outcomes of Dual Cigarette and E-cigarette Use in Animal Models of Chronic Exposure.” The project will provide scientific evidence in support of data-driven e-cigarette regulation under The Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act, specifically concerning the health risks of dual combustible and electronic cigarette use.

Spotlight Story

Oct 14, 2022

PhD Spotlight: Yasmeen Farra, PhD’22 – Bioengineering

Yasmeen Farra, PhD’22, bioengineering, focuses research on vascular mechanics – specifically, how chronic disease associated with e-cigarette “vaping” or cigarette smoking influences the structural integrity and functional health of large arteries. Following graduation, Farra took her passion for scientific research to her new role as a scientist at Senda Biosciences, a biotech startup in Cambridge, Massachusetts. She works on the translational biology team to help bring life-changing treatments to patients by harnessing Senda’s platform for fully programmable medicines.

Alumni

Jul 13, 2022

BioE Alum Wins 2022 Innovator Award

Bioengineering alumna Samantha Johnson, E’21, ME’21, was the first place winner of the 2022 Innovator Awards given out by Northeastern’s Women Who Empower in the young alumnae graduate category, which she will use to develop a robotic arm that can sign in ASL.

Mark Niedre and Chiara Bellini

Faculty

Mar 07, 2022

Research to Help Unlock the Mystery of How Cancer Spreads

Bioengineering Professor Mark Niedre and Assistant Professor Chiara Bellini received a 5-year, $2.7M grant titled “Continuous, Non-Invasive Optical Monitoring of Circulating Tumor Cell-Mediated Metastasis in Awake Mice” from the National Cancer Institute and National Institutes of Health. The project will develop a new instrument (“w-DiFC”) for optically detecting and counting rare circulating tumor cells continuously and non-invasively in awake, freely-moving mice.

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