SC Connecticut News

Martin Pfaller, a new faculty member at Yale's School of Engineering & Applied Science, has transitioned from developing car engines to studying the heart. Pfaller specializes in computational modeling of the heart and cardiovascular system, aiming to improve medical devices and predict heart disease progression.

In a recent interview for "Office Hours," a series that introduces new Yale faculty members, Pfaller discussed his research and personal interests. He noted his background in Munich working for BMW on electrical motors: "We used the classical application of computational methods to figure out how things break; an electrical motor, for instance, will break at some point if you spin it too fast." His shift to biomechanics allowed him to apply these engineering methods to biological tissue.

Pfaller explained why he moved from automotive engineering to biomedical engineering: "To be honest, I didn’t find it super interesting. I felt like many things have already been figured out... But I think with biomedical engineering, I can actually have an impact."

One surprising discovery in his research challenges common perceptions about the heart: "There’s a common misconception that the heart squeezes blood through the body... What I found out during that research is that the heart actually doesn’t squeeze out the blood. Instead, it shifts it back and forth between its chambers while keeping its total volume constant."

Outside of work, Pfaller enjoys endurance sports like road biking and running. He recently completed his first triathlon and is also pursuing a private pilot certificate.

Pfaller joined Yale in July 2024 after previously being associated with Stanford University. His current focus includes developing personalized models of the heart and cardiovascular system to predict disease progression and optimize therapies.