Morteza Gharib

Innovates in multiple fields. In aeronautics, he invented improved tools to study flows; his studies of vortex dynamics impact fields ranging from ship to heart valve engineering. In biomedical research, he showed that the forces from blood flow guide the developmental patterning of the heart and heart valves. He transformed basic research to commercially viable products: 28 of his 100 patents have been licensed by industry and he founded two successful start-up companies. He designed the FDA approved Glaucoma shunt sold by Glaukos, named the 7th most exciting start-up in 2012 by The Wall Street Journal.

Arts and Science:

His creative impulse is most certainly inspired by the history of engineering, science, design and nature as evidenced by his body of work and his keen interest in the work of Leonardo da Vinci. His work has been molded by Leonardo da Vinci’s heart valve fluid dynamics. His work on this topic has been published in research journals, referenced in four books about Da Vinci, and is featured in the PBS Series “Leonardo’s Dream Machines”(2003). A replica of the heart valve designed by Leonardo da Vinci was created by Professor Gharib and his team, and became part of the exhibit, Leonardo Da Vinci: Experience, Experiment, and Design, at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London (14 September 2006 - 7 January 2007).

Compelled by one of history’s feats in engineering, the Gharib research group lifted a heavy obelisk with a kite trying to prove that the Egyptians may have used kites or sails to erect their obelisks and build their monuments. This use of wind power was the subject of the History Channel documentary “Flying Pyramids: Soaring Stones” (2004).  Professor Gharib has also collected awards for his visualized images of two-dimensional flows using soap films.