Akif Undar

Akif Undar is a Professor of Pediatrics, Surgery, and Biomedical Engineering at Penn State University. He specializes in minimizing adverse effects of cardiovascular procedures, focusing on pediatric cardiopulmonary bypass and mechanical circulatory support. His work spans translational research in cerebral, myocardial, pulmonary, and renal injury mitigation during cardiac surgeries. He directs the Penn State Pediatric Cardiovascular Research Center, a multidisciplinary initiative integrating engineering, basic science, and clinical applications.

Dr. Undar founded the International Conference on Pediatric Mechanical Circulatory Support (since 2005) and chairs the International Society for Pediatric Mechanical Cardiopulmonary Support. His education includes a BS in Electrical Engineering (Yildiz Technical University, 1986), MS in Computer Science (1992), MSE and PhD in Biomedical Engineering (University of Texas at Austin, 1994–1996).

Research interests include pediatric heart-lung machines, microemboli detection, and real-time inflammation measurement via microdevices. His grants, funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, include projects on pediatric ventricular assist devices and conferences. Awards include the 2017 Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award and the 2023 Dean's Award for Excellence in Teaching.

Key contributions include over 336 publications and 6 funded grants since 2005, with recent work emphasizing pulsatile flow benefits in pediatric cardiac surgeries. His labs focus on device innovation and clinical translation, addressing global pediatric cardiovascular challenges.