J. Yasha Kresh is Professor Emeritus of Surgery (Cardiothoracic) and Medicine (Cardiology). Since 1986 he has served as the Research Director of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Director of Cardiovascular Biophysics and Computing at the Drexel University College of Medicine (Hahnemann Univ. Hospital). He received his doctoral degree in Biomedical (Cardiovascular) Engineering for the studies of cardiac function and biomathematical modeling. He holds a number of joint-appointments in the School of Biomedical Engineering, Dept. of Pathology and Molecular Pathobiology Program. His postdoctoral training was in ‘Artificial Intelligence’ (Mt. Sinai School of Medicine); ‘Cardiac Electrophysiology and Heart Replacement Therapies’ (Beth Israel Medical Center). His research encompasses integrative aspects of cardiovascular structure-function and myocardial self-regulation. His recent efforts have been in the area of Mechanobiology (functional relationships between intercellular and intracellular mechano-transduction signaling). His long-standing persistent effort has been devoted to advancing therapies / technologies for the repair / replacement of the failing pump function of the heart (using cellular / tissue engineering, mechanical circulatory devices, and surgical robotics).

In addition, he is credited for advancing multi-disciplinary quantitative approaches to describe, analyze, and predict the behavior of complex biological systems, from the micro to macro scales (https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-0-387-33532-2). He authored over 200 publications spanning "theory to bedside" of cardiovascular and surgical engineering. He is also known for his work on dynamical diseases and lectures on the application of complex systems science (from cell cultures to society). He holds patents for the invention of adaptive cardiac pacemakers and blood coagulation self-monitoring.

Dr. Kresh is Fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, American College of Cardiology, American Heart Association, American Physiological Society and Biomedical Engineering Society.