Research Focus

Human thermoregulation, thermal treatment of injured soft tissues, safe and effective induction of therapeutic hypothermia, burn injury.

Research Interests

Dr. Diller is an internationally recognized authority in heat and temperature related processes in living tissues and how they may be applied in the design of therapeutic devices. His first studies in the 1960’s were related to the frozen banking of cells and tissues for transplantation. He has also pursued advanced analysis of burn injury occurrence and treatment and the application of thermal therapy for cancer. Currently he is focused on the use of temperature manipulation to enhance the healing of injured soft tissues, the development of a new generation of safer and more effective devices for lowering body core temperature in patients with major organ ischemia as caused by cardiac arrest, stroke, or traumatic brain injury, and creation a thermal microenvironment to improve the ability to sleep well.

Selected Publications

• Khoshnevis, S., Craik, N., Brothers, R.M., and Diller, K.R., Cryotherapy-Induced Persistent Vasoconstriction After Cutaneous Cooling: Hysteresis Between Skin Temperature and Blood Perfusion, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, March 2016. Vol. 138. (PDF)
• Mejia, N., Dedow, K., Nguy, L., Sullivan, P., Khoshnevis, S., Diller, K.R., An On-Site Thermoelectric Cooling Device for Cryotherapy and Control of Skin Blood Flow, Journal of Medical Devices, December 2015, Vol. 9 (PDF)
• Diller, K.R., Heat Transfer in Health and Healing, Journal of Heat Transfer, October 2015, Vol. 137. (PDF)
• Diller, K.R., Therapeutic Recruitment of Thermoregulation in Humans by Selective Thermal Stimulation along the Spine, Advances in Heat Transfer, 2015, First Edition (PDF) 
• Diller, K.R., Khoshnevis, S. Nordhauser, J., Craik, N., Quantitative Evaluation of the Thermal Heterogeneity on the Surface of Cryotherapy Cooling Pads, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, July 2014, Vol. 136. (PDF)

• Khoshnevis, S., Craik, N., Diller, K.R., Experimental Characterization of the Domains of Coupling and Uncoupling Between Surface Temperature and Skin Blood Flow, I.J. Trans. Phenomena, 2014, Vol. 13, pp. 277-301. (PDF)
• Diller, K.R., Song, A., Najjar A., Thermally Induced Apoptosis, Necrosis, and Heat Shock Protein Expression in 3D Culture, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, July 2014. Vol. 136. (PDF)
• Roselli, R.J. and Diller, K.R., Biotransport: Principles and Applications, Springer Press, New York, 2011, 1286 pp.
• Fuentes, D., Oden, J.T., Diller, K.R., Elliott, A., Feng, Y., Hazle, J.D., Shetty, A., and Stafford, R.J., Computational and MR-guided Patient-specific Laser Induced Thermal Therapy of Cancer, Springer Press, 2012, in press.
• Svilha, V., Petrosino, A.J. and Diller, K.R., Learning to Design: Authenticity, Negotiation and Innovation, International Journal of Engineering Education 28, 2012, 782-798.
• Diller, K.R., Fundamentals of Bio-Heat Transfer, in Physics of Thermal Therapy: Fundamentals and Clinical Applications. ed. by E.G. Moros, Springer Press, 2013, 3-22.
• Hensley, D.W., Mark, A.E., Abella J.R., Netscher, G.M., Wissler, E.H., and Diller, K.R., 50 Years of Computer Simulation of the Human Thermoregulatory System, Journal of Biomechanical Engineering 135, 2013, 021005, 1-9. (PDF)
• Rylander, M.N., Stafford, R.J., Hazle, J., Whitney, J., and Diller, K.R., Heat Shock Expression and Temperature Distribution in Prostate Tumors Treated with Laser Irradiation and Nanoshells, International Journal of Hyperthermia 27, 2011, 791-801.
• Diller, K.R., Laser Generated Heat Transfer, in Optical-Thermal Response of Laser-Irradiated Tissue, ed. by A.J. Welch and M.J.C. van Gemert, Springer Press, 2011, 353-397.
• Diller, K.R., Car Seat Heaters as a Potential Burn Hazard: A Clarification. Journal of Burn Care and Research32, 2011, e33 – e34. (PDF)
• M. N. Rylander, Y. Feng, K. Zimmermann, and K. R. Diller, 2010, Measurement and Mathematical Modeling of Thermally Induced Injury and Heat Shock Protein Expression Kinetics in Normal and Cancerous Prostate Cells, International Journal of Hyperthermia, Special Issue on Prostate Cancer Therapy, 26(8), 2010, 748-764. (PDF)
• Diller, K.R., Laser Generated Heat Transfer, in Optical-Thermal Response of Laser-Irradiated Tissue, ed. by A.J. Welch and M.J.C. van Gemert, Springer Press, 2010, 353-397.
• Svilha, V., Petrosino, A.J., Martin, H.T., and Diller, K.R., Learning to Design: Interactions that Promote Innovation, Aung, W. (ed.), Innovations 2009: World Innovations in Engineering Education and Research, Intl. Network for Engineering Education and Research (iNEER), Arlington, VA, 2009, 375-391.
• Fuentes, D., Oden, J.T., Diller, K.R., Hazle, J.D., Elliott, A., Shetty, A., and Stafford, R.J., Computational Modeling and Real-Time Control of Patient-Specific Laser Treatment of Cancer, Annals of Biomedical Engineering 37, 2009, 763-782. (PDF)
• Diller, K.R. and Zhu, L., Hypothermia Therapy for Brain Injury, Annual Review of Biomedical Engineering 11, 2009, 135-162. (PDF)
• Song, A.S. and Diller, K.R., Modeling Heat Shock Protein Expression Produced by a Heat Wrap, ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering 131, 2009, 074510.1-4. (PDF)
• Merchant, F.A., Aggarwal, S.J., Diller, K.R. and Bovik, A.C., Viability Analysis of Cryopreserved Rat Pancreatic Islets Using Laser Scanning Confocal Microscopy, Cryobiology 33, 1996, 236-252. (PDF)
• Diller, K.R., Engineering-Based Contributions in Cryobiology, Cryobiology 34, 1997, 304-314. (PDF)
• deFreitas, R.C., Diller, K.R., Lakey, J.R.T. and Rajotte, R.V. Osmotic Behavior and Transport Properties of Human Islets in a Dimethyl Sulfoxide Solution, Cryobiology 35, 1997, 230-239.
• Crutchfield, A.M., Diller, K.R. and Brand, J.J., Cryopreservation of Chlamydomonas reinhardtii (Chlorophyta), European Journal of Phycology 34, 1999, 43-52.
• Nyberg, K.L., Diller, K.R. and Wissler, E.H., Model of Human/Liquid Cooling Garment Interaction for Space Suit Automatic Thermal Control, ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 123, 2001, 114-120. (PDF)
• Tanaka, J.Y., Walsh, J.R., Diller, K.R., Brand, J.J. and Aggarwal, S.J., Algae Permeability to Me2SO from -3°C to 25°C, Cryobiology, 42, 2001, 286-300. (PDF)
• Paul, H.L. and Diller, K.R., Comparison of Thermal Insulation Performance of Fibrous Materials for the Advanced Space Suit, ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 125, 2003, 639-647. (PDF)
• Wang, S., Diller, K.R. and Aggarwal, S.J. Kinetics Study of Endogenous Heat Shock Protein 70 Expression, ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 125, 2003, 794-797. (PDF)
• Rylander, C.G., Dave, D.P., Akkin, T., Milner, T.E., Diller, K.R., and Welch, A.J., Quantitative Phase-Contrast Imaging Of Cells With Phase-Sensitive Optical Coherence Microscopy, Optics Letters, vol.29, no.13, July 1 2004, 1509-1511.
• Neils, C.M. and Diller, K.R., An Optical-Axis Freezing Stage For Laser-Scanning Microscopy Of Broad Ice-Water Interfaces, Journal of Microscopy, 216, 2004, 249-262. (PDF)
• Walsh, J.R., Diller, K.R. and Brand, J.J., Measurement and Simulation of Water and Methanol Transport in Algal Cells, ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 126, 2004, 167-179. (PDF)
• Juan, S. and Diller, K.R., An Optical Differential Scanning Calorimeter, Journal of Microscopy, 218, 2005, 85-93.
• Rylander, M.N., Diller, K.R., Wang, S. and Aggarwal, S.J., Correlation of HSP70 Expression and Cell Viability Following Thermal Stimulation of Bovine Aortic Endothelial Cells, ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 127, 2005, 751-757. (PDF)
• Diller, K.R. Bioheat and Mass Transfer as Viewed Through a Microscope (H.R. Lissner Award Lecture), ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 127, 2005, 67-84.
• Geert W. Schmid-Schonbein and Kenneth R. Diller, Transport Processes in Biomedical Systems: A Roadmap for Future Research Directions, Annals of Biomedical Engineering, Vol. 33, No. 9, September 2005 (© 2005) pp. 1136-1141 DOI: 10.1007/s10439-005-5633-y (PDF)
• Ofodike A. Ezekoye, PhD, Kenneth R. Diller, ScD, A Model for Assessing Ignition, Flame Spread, and Burn Hazard Potential of a Multilayered Jacket, Journal of Burn Care & Research Volume 27, Number 4, July/August 2006, pp. 487-495, DOI: 10.1097/01.BCR.0000226265.42538.D4 (PDF) 
• Kenneth R. Diller, ScD, Stress Protein Expression Kinetics, Annu. Rev. Biomed. Eng. 2006. 8:403-24, doi:10.1146/annurev.bioeng.7.060804.100449 (PDF)
• J.T. Oden, K.R. Diller, C. Bajaj, J.C. Browne, J. Hazle, I. Babuska, J. Bass, L. Demkowicz, Y. Feng, D. Fuentes, S. Prudhomme, M.N. Rylander, R.J. Stafford, and Y. Zhang, Development of a Computational Paradigm for Laser Treatment of Cancer, V.N. Alexandrov et al. (Eds.): ICCS 2006, Part III, LNCS 3993, pp. 530-537, 2006. (PDF)
• Kenneth R. Diller, Scd, Adapting Adult Scald Safety Standards to Children, Journal of Burn Care & Research Volume 27, Number 3, May/June 2006, pp. 314-322, DOI:10.1097/01.BCR.0000216473.50837.12 (PDF)
• Martin, T, Rivale, S.D. and Diller, K.R., Comparison of Student Learning in Challenge-based and Traditional Instruction in Biomedical Engineering, Annals of Biomedical Engineering, 35, 2007, 1312-1323. (PDF)
• Rylander, M.N, Feng, Y., Bass, J. And Diller, K.R., Heat Shock Protein Expression and Injury Optimization for Laser Therapy Design, Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 39, 2007, 731-746.
• Wang, S., Xie, W, Rylander, M.N., Tucker, P.W., Aggarwal, S.J., and Diller, K.R., HSP70 Kinetics Study by Continuous Observation of HSP-GFP Fusion Protein Expression on a Perfusion Heating Stage, Biotechnology and Bioengineering 99, 2008, 146-154. (PDF)
• Brown, F. and Diller, K.R., Calculating the Optimum Temperature for Serving Hot Beverages, Burns 34, 2008, 648-654. (PDF)