Keith Cook's research focuses on applying engineering to critical care medicine. This research melds mechanical, chemical, and material science concepts toward the development of artificial and tissue-based lungs, pulmonary drug delivery, and the computational modeling and prevention of coagulation in medical devices.
Current research projects in his group include thoracic artificial lungs, biofabricated tissue-based lungs, new biomaterial approaches for reducing coagulation at artificial surfaces, and perfluorocarbon emulsions for pulmonary drug delivery. Of note, his laboratory was the first to produce 24-hour, one-week, and 30-day in vivo studies of thoracic artificial lungs, and his group is working on an artificial lung intended as destination therapy for years of respiratory support. Professor Cook currently serves as the Faculty Director of the Bioengineered Organs Initiative at CMU and is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering.

Research Interests: artificial lungs; hemodynamics; pulmonary drug delivery; liquid ventilation; right ventricular function; critical care medicine