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About

David Van Story is a pioneering researcher at the intersection of soft robotics and cardiovascular medicine, whose work is redefining the future of implantable therapeutic devices. His primary research areas include soft robotic ventricular assist devices (VADs), in vivo tissue regeneration, and biomimetic circulatory simulation. Van Story’s major contributions center on developing implantable soft robotic systems that dynamically augment native heart function—a paradigm shift from traditional mechanical pumps. His most influential paper, "Soft robotic ventricular assist device with septal bracing for therapy of heart failure" (76 citations), introduced a novel device that engages the interventricular septum to improve blood ejection, addressing a critical gap in biventricular support. Another highly cited work, "In vivo tissue regeneration with robotic implants" (55 citations), explores the signaling and design challenges of robots that restore biological function inside the body. Van Story has also demonstrated dynamic left ventricle and mitral valve augmentation (19 citations), showing how soft robotics can treat secondary mitral regurgitation. His work on mock circulatory loops for single-ventricle physiology (8 citations) and real-time ventricular strain measurement further showcases his commitment to translating soft robotics from bench to bedside. With a growing citation footprint, Van Story is a rising leader in bio-inspired medical robotics.