Rachel Geenens
Papers
2
Total Citations
8
H-Index
2
About
Rachel Geenens is a biomedical researcher whose work sits at the critical intersection of vascular biomechanics and surgical safety. Her primary research focus is understanding how mechanical forces—specifically those applied during robotic surgery—damage arterial tissue, and how pre-existing conditions like atherosclerosis or aging alter that damage threshold. In her most-cited work, Geenens demonstrated that atherosclerotic arteries respond fundamentally differently to loading than healthy vessels, a finding with direct implications for designing safer robotic surgical systems that lack haptic feedback. Her 2016 paper on this topic has garnered 4 citations, while a companion 2015 study on age-related vasoreactivity changes has also been cited 4 times. Though modest in raw citation count, these papers represent foundational contributions to a niche but clinically vital field: establishing force-load limits for surgical robots to prevent iatrogenic vascular injury. Geenens’ work bridges basic vascular physiology with translational surgical engineering, providing the empirical data needed to program robotic instruments that can “feel” tissue resistance. Her research is particularly notable for its use of murine aortic models to simulate real-world surgical clamping scenarios, offering a reproducible platform for testing force-safety parameters.
Research Focus
Key Achievements
Top Papers
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