Ali Akyildiz

Dr. Ali Akyildiz is an Assistant Professor at the Erasmus Medical Center in the Department of Cardiology, where he leads the Biomedical Engineering Group. He also holds an assistant professorship at the Department of Biomechanical Engineering, Delft University of Technology, and is affiliated as a guest researcher with the Radboud University Medical Center's Department of Radiology and Nuclear Medicine.

• BSc & MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Bogazici University (2007, 2009)
• PhD in Biomedical Engineering, Erasmus Medical Center (2013)

His research focuses on cardiovascular biomechanics, investigating how mechanical forces influence diseases like atherosclerosis and congenital heart defects. He combines experimental and computational methods to model plaque rupture risk and improve personalized therapies.

Dr. Akyildiz has secured grants from Erasmus MC, Hartekind, and the ERC, and his work is featured in collaborations with the Molecular & Cellular Biomechanics and Frontiers in Medical Technology journals. He co-founded a soft tissue experimentation lab at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and contributes to educational programs in biomechanics and continuum mechanics.

• Erasmus MC Mrace grant (2020)
• Hartekind Foundation funding (2019)
• ERC Marie Skolodowska-Curie Fellowship (2017)

At the Biomechanics Laboratory, his team explores stress effects on cardiovascular systems, aiming to predict disease progression and optimize diagnostics. His multidisciplinary projects involve engineers and clinicians from cardiology, radiology, and pediatric departments.