Imagine a digital twin for a pregnancy: a model based on the unique geometry of a mother's uterus, capable of anticipating potential complications.

Michelle Oyen, PhD, a materials scientist and Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering at Wayne State University, is bringing the engineering perspective to pregnancy. She explains that many aspects of pregnancy involve forces—rupturing, pushing, growing, stretching. These are all mechanical events. If we can describe pregnancy in engineering terms, we can model it. Collaborating with other visionaries in the field, Michelle is working on developing the first-ever Virtual Pregnancy model.

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(00:00) Intro

(04:29) Why pregnancy is a mechanical event

(06:35) How pregnancy is similar to running a marathon

(08:11) How female anatomy is designed for pregnancy

(10:20) The female immune system

(12:10) Why the placenta is so misunderstood

(15:28) Digital twins & Virtual Pregnancy models

(25:56) Applying engineering principles to menopause

(31:26) Key challenges to creating artificial womb technology

(37:53) What has studying pregnancy taught Michelle about life, nature, and universe

Connect with Michelle:

Michelle's profile - https://engineering.wayne.edu/profile/hx4827

Michelle's LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/michelle-oyen/

Michelle's Twitter - https://x.com/michelleoyen

Links mentioned:

Kristin M. Myers - https://kristinmyerscolumbia.com/

"Womb: The Inside Story of Where We All Began" book by Leah Hazard

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