DEVELOPMENT OF A MECHANICAL TESTING ASSAY FOR FIBROTIC MURINE LIVER By

I would like to thank my advisor, Dr. Miga, for his guidance in this project and for the energy and excitement that he constantly exudes. His insight has been imperative to the development of this work. Thanks to Andrej Lyshchik, who managed the animal aspect of the research, among many other contributions. I would also like to thank Dr. Gore for his insight and the many resources he provided. Finally, thank you to the many people in VUIIS who helped with the imaging and lab resources, as well as the people in the histological analysis lab for preparing the tissue slides. This research was made possible by funding provided by the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship. Finally, thank you to my parents for their constant support and love. They have always allowed us to believe that we can do anything we want, and have provided us with every opportunity to succeed. Thank you to my brother, Jeffrey, and my sisters, Courtney and Julie. Their unconditional love and support has been wonderful. It’s amazing watching you grow into magnificent people, and I know your potential is unlimited. And of course, thank you to my best friend and fiancé, Adam. You hav