Milan Toma

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Milan Toma, Ph.D. is an assistant professor of clinical sciences at NYIT College of Osteopathic Medicine (NYITCOM). His areas of expertise include image processing, high-performance computing, computational mechanics/biomechanics, biomechanical/biomedical engineering, Trefftz elements, hydrated soft tissue, impact biomechanics, head and brain injuries, and cardiovascular fluid-structure interaction.

With the help of NYITCOM students, Toma researchers the interactions between fluid and structures within the human body. This work spans a variety of conditions, including fluids found in the brain, during pregnancy, in the heart and veins, and in the eyes.

Prior to joining NYITCOM, Toma served as an assistant professor of mechanical engineering for NYIT College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, where he conducted critical research to simulate fluid dynamics under various conditions. This includes simulation research on pediatric head trauma (shaken baby syndrome) that sparked an International Business Times op-ed, and demonstrated that the brain’s cerebrospinal fluid may not provide as much protection as previously believed, helping clinicians and caregivers better understand the impact of these injuries.

In addition to his notable pediatric head trauma research, Toma, along with students from the College of Engineering and Computing Sciences, tested the effectiveness of protective helmets and replicated high-risk head injuries from automobile accidents and contact sports, including lacrosse, baseball, football, and ice hockey. In 2018 and 2020, Toma received grants from the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association to perform similar research on the efficacy of jockey helmets in collaboration with other head injury researchers, which aims to test the protection of various helmet designs in order to help determine the best head protection in a variety of racing conditions.

After Toma received his Ph.D. in Engineering Science from the Technical University of Lisbon in Portugal, he worked as a project researcher in Altair Engineering France in Paris, with a focus on computational analysis of brain injuries. From Paris, he moved to Japan, where he worked as a research assistant professor at Tokyo University and at a research institute RIKEN, where he developed numerical algorithms for cardiovascular fluid-structure interaction simulations. After three years in Japan, he moved to the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) where he worked in the field of computational combustion at King Abdullah University of Science and Technology as a visiting researcher. After one year in KSA, he moved to the U.S. where he worked at a cardiovascular fluid mechanics laboratory under the guidance of Dr. Ajit Yoganathan, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, at Georgia Institute of Technology.

Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Milan Toma on head impact simulations and helmet design.

Recent Projects and Research

• Computational Fluid Dynamics
• Fluid-Structure Interaction
• Computational Cardiovascular Simulations
• Brain Damage Simulations
• Head Impact Simulations

Selected Publications and Presentations

• J. Mayer, R. Jose, M. Bekbolatova, C. Coletti, T. Devine, M. Toma, "Enhancing Patient Safety through Integrated Sensor Technology and Machine Learning for Bed-Based Patient Movement Detection in Inpatient Care," Artificial Intelligence in Health, 2024, Volume: 1, Issue: 2, pp 132–143, doi: 10.36922/aih.2790
• A. Thomas, R. Jose, F. Syed, C.W. Ong, M. Toma, "Machine Learning-Driven Predictions and Interventions for Cardiovascular Occlusions," Technology and Health Care, 2024
• M. Bekbolatova, J. Mayer, R. Jose, F. Syed, G. Kurgansky, P. Singh, R. Pao, H. Zaw, T. Devine, R. Chan-Akeley, M. Toma, "Biomechanical Effects of Seizures on Cerebral Dynamics and Brain Stress," Brain Sciences, 2024, Volume: 14, Issue: 4, pp 323, doi: 10.3390/brainsci14040323
• R. Jose, A. Thomas, J. Guo, R. Steinberg, M. Toma, "Evaluating Machine Learning Models for Prediction of Coronary Artery Disease," Global Translational Medicine, 2024, Volume: 3, Issue: 1, pp 2669, doi: 10.36922/gtm.2669
• R. Jose, F. Syed, A. Thomas, M. Toma, "Cardiovascular Health Management in Diabetic Patients with Machine-Learning-Driven Predictions and Interventions," Applied Sciences, 2024, Volume: 14, Issue: 5, pp 2132, doi: 10.3390/app14052132
• M. Bekbolatova, J. Mayer, C.W. Ong, M. Toma, "Transformative Potential of AI in Healthcare: Definitions, Applications, and Navigating the Ethical Landscape and Public Perspectives," Healthcare, 2024, Volume: 12, Issue: 2, pp 125, doi: 10.3390/healthcare12020125
• M. Toma, F. Syed, L. McCoy, M. Nizich, W. Blazey, "Engineering in Medicine: Bridging the Cognitive and Emotional Distance between Medical and Non-Medical Students," International Journal of Education in Mathematics, Science, and Technology (IJEMST), 2024, Volume: 12, Issue: 1, pp 99–113, doi: 10.46328/ijemst.3089
• J. Mayer, R. Jose, G.D. Kurgansky, P. Singh, C. Coletti, T. Devine, M. Toma, "Evaluating the Feasibility of Euler Angles for Bed-Based Patient Movement Monitoring," Signals, 2023, Volume: 4, Issue: 4, pp 788-799, doi: 10.3390/signals4040043
• E. Frankini, E.J. Basile, F. Syed, O.C. Wei, M. Toma, "Understanding Traumatic Brain Injuries in Military Personnel: Investigating the Dynamic Interplay of Cerebrospinal Fluid and Brain during Blasts," Cureus, 2023, Volume: 15, Issue: 10, pp e46962, doi: 10.7759/cureus.46962
• A. Abraham, R. Jose, J. Ahmad, J. Joshi, T. Jacob, A. Khalid, H. Ali, P. Patel, J. Singh, M. Toma, "Comparative Analysis of Machine Learning Models for Image Detection of Colonic Polyps vs. Resected Polyps," Imaging, 2023, Volume: 9, Issue: 10, pp 215, doi: 10.3390/jimaging9100215
• J. Arias, G. Kurgansky, O.C. Wei, R. Chan-Akeley, M. Toma, "Fluid-Structure Interaction Analysis of Amniotic Fluid with Fetus and Placenta Inside Uterus Exposed to Military Blasts," Injury, 2023, Volume: 54, Issue: 8, pp 110843, doi: 10.1016/j.injury.2023.110843
• F. Syed, S. Khan, M. Toma, "Modeling Dynamics of the Cardiovascular System Using Fluid-Structure Interaction Methods," Biology, 2023, Volume 12, Issue 7, pp 1226, doi: 10.3390/biology12071026
• S. Khan, F. Syed, M. Toma, "Management of Intracranial Hemorrhage in the Setting of Mechanical Heart Valve Replacement Therapy," Appl. Mech., 2023, Volume 4, Issue 2, pp 644–667, doi: 10.3390/applmech4020033
• M. Toma, O.C. Wei, "Predictive Modeling in Medicine," Encyclopedia, 2023, Volume 3, Issue 2, pp 590–601, doi: 10.3390/encyclopedia3020042
• F. Syed, E. Frankini, K. Hurdle, J. Garcia, R. Chan-Akeley, M. Toma, "Cushioning Effect of Conventional Padded Helmets on Interaction between Cerebrospinal Fluid and Brain after a Low-Speed Head Impact," Appl. Sci., 2023, Volume 13, Issue 7, pp 4544, doi: 10.3390/app13074544

Contact Info

• mtoma@nyit.edu