Exploring Brain Mechanics

🧠🌍 Exploring Brain Mechanics at WCCM-ECCOMAS 2026! From July 19-24, researchers from around the world gathered in Munich for the WCCM-ECCOMAS 2026 Congress to exchange ideas and discuss the latest advances in computational mechanics.

MS311-Experimental and Numerical Approaches to Understanding the Vascularized Brain, organized by our doctroral researchers Nina Reiter and Yashasvi Verma, explored the complex interactions between brain tissue and its vasculature, combining experimental studies with computational modeling.

Both sessions featured excellent presentations, lively discussions, and valuable opportunities to connect with the international research community. Thank you to the organizers, speakers, and everyone who contributed to making these minisymposia a success! Photos by: Silvia Budday

EBM contributed to the scientific program with two minisymposia highlighting different aspects of brain biomechanics:

MS032-Exploring Brain Mechanics, organized by Silvia Budday, Gerhard Holzapfel and Paul Steinmann, focused on experimental and computational approaches to understanding brain mechanics, covering topics from tissue characterization and cortical folding to brain development and neurological disorders.

EBM at INES 2026! From September 10-13, the 16th International Summer School for Neuropathology and Epilepsy Surgery (INES 2026) brought together 50 participants from 25 countries at Uniklinikum Erlangen.

A opportunity for international exchange, hands-on learning and interdisciplinary discussions at the interface of neuropathology, epilepsy surgery and brain mechanics! We are also pleased that CRC 1540 "Exploring Brain Mechanics" supported the participation of members of the international faculty.

Photos by: Sophia Eckl

In a dedicated session on "Exploring Brain Mechanics", Silvia Budday introduced how the mechanical properties of brain tissue can provide new perspectives on epileptogenic brain lesions.

Six EBM members contributed to the international faculty: Silvia Budday, Daniel Delev, Ingmar Blümcke, Lucas Hoffmann, Katja Kobow and Stefan Rampp.

The four-day program combined lectures, digital microscopy sessions, challenging case discussions, and a hands-on brain dissection workshop, providing an interdisciplinary perspective on the diagnosos and surgical treatment of focal epilepsies.

EBM research at ESB 2026! Dr. Irem Unalan from the institute of biomaterials at FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg presented EBM research at the 35th Annual Conference of the European Society for Biomaterials (ESB 2026), held in Antwerp, Belgium.

Her work focuses on melt electrowritten fiber-reinforced OHA-GEL hydrogels for tunable neural microenvironments, combining precisely controlled fiber architectures with soft hydrogels for neural tissue engineering.

The conference provided a great opportunity to share EBM research with the international biomaterials community, exchange ideas, and connect with researchers from around the world. Photos: A.-I. Damian-Buda

🧠🎥 Discover Exploring Brain Mechanics! What is EBM about? How do mechanics shape the brain, and what happens when these processes are altered?

Our new EBM image film takes you behind the scences of CRC 1540 Exploring Brain Mechanics and introduces the ideas, people, and interdisciplinary research behind our work.

player.vimeo.comEBM Imagefilm on Vimeo

Curious? Watch the full EBM image film now on our website or under player.vimeo.com/video/118692...

🧠🔬 Exploring the role of mechanics in brain development! On July, 23, EBM (post)doctoral researchers came together for the latest Doctoral Researchers' Seminar at the Institute of Biochemistry.

Michael Tranchina (A04) shared his work on how mechanics shape neural lineage decisions, highlighting the complex interplay of mechanical factors during brain development and the potential of brain organoids as advanced model systems.

The seminar once highlighted the interdisciplinary research within EBM and sparked discussions across projects and research fields!

🧠🔬 Exploring the role of mechanics in brain development! On July, 23, EBM (post)doctoral researchers came together for the latest Doctoral Researchers' Seminar at the Institute of Biochemistry.

Shanice Heidenreich (C04) presented her research on cellular differentiation in brain tissue-like matrices, exploring how properties such as stiffness and plasticity influence cellular behavior.

⚙️𝗟𝗶𝗻𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗹𝗼𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗴𝗹𝗼𝗯𝗮𝗹 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗶𝘀𝘀𝘂𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗰𝘀 Spinal cord tissue is ultrasoft, structurally complex and difficult to characterize mechanically. This creates a major challenge for computational models of spinal cord injury, disease and regeneration: which material parameters should be used?

This provides an experimental and computational basis for future simulations of spinal cord injury, remodeling and regeneration. 🔗 doi.org/10.1016/j.ac...

doi.orgRedirecting

👨‍🔬👩‍🔬 Oskar Neumann, Rahul Gopalan Ramachandran, Harsh Vardhan Surana, Friedrich Paulsen, Michael Scholz, Simone Gaffling, Paul Steinmann, Silvia Budday #Biomechanics #SpinalCord #TissueMechanics #FiniteElementMethod #ContinuumMechanics #ComputationalModeling #Mechanobiology

A key result is that Ogden-type models captured the nonlinear material response better than simpler Hertzian or neo-Hookean descriptions.

The combined pipeline also allowed us to identify more robust material parameters by integrating indentation and rheometer data rather than relying on a single testing modality.

The approach combines: 🔬 spherical indentation of gray and white matter ⚙️ large-strain compression–tension testing with a rheometer 🧮 nonlinear continuum mechanics 💻 inverse finite element simulations

By applying both testing modalities sequentially to the same samples, we were able to compare local, tissue-type-specific indentation data with global, whole-sample large-strain behavior.

In our recent study, we developed a multimodal mechanical characterization pipeline for porcine spinal cord tissue.

How Do You Feel - Symposium in Memory of Jochen Guck

The symposium will explore current developments and future directions in cell physics, with a particular focus on how chemical signals, mechanical forces, and spatial cues interact across scales - from molecules and cells to tissues.

mpzpm.mpg.deEvent Details

Beyond scientific exchange, the meeting will provide an opportunity to acknowledge Jochen Guck's scientific impact he had on shaping the research community. More information ➡️ mpzpm.mpg.de/news/events/...

How Do You Feel - Symposium in Memory of Jochen Guck

On September 21-22. 2026, colleagues, collaborators, and friends across the field of cell physics will come together at the Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin (MPZPM) in Erlangen for the symposium "How Do You Feel", held in memory of Prof. Dr. Jochen Guck.

7 Aug

🧠🔬How do mechanical environments influence developing human brain organoids? During a recent EBM lab shadowing, researchers from A04, A05, and B02 combined hydrogels, organoids, and AFM measurements to study compartment-specific tissue mechanics during early neural development.

crc1540-ebm.research.fau.euLab Shadowing: How mechanics shape developing human brain organoidsIn April, a Lab Shadowing brought together Michael Tranchina, Sebastián Vásquez Sepúlveda, and Maria Tarczewska (Projects A04, A05, and B02) to explore how mechanical cues influence the development of...

7 Aug

A great collaboration across projects! Full report on our website: www.crc1540-ebm.research.fau.eu/2026/05/19/h... Photos: W. Yibulayin, M.Tranchina

31 July

Shear wave speed images acquired on the Institute’s new 3-T Cima.X scanner, following successful implementation of magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) on 3-T Vida, and former 3-T Prisma systems.

31 July

This is part of EBM’s Y Project, which aims to establish MRE at FAU for the non-invasive assessment of the in vivo brain’s mechanical properties.

24 July

Intense days for EBM! CRC 1540 Exploring Brain Mechanics welcomed the DFG review panel to FAU for the on-site evaluation of our proposal for a second funding period.

24 July

After months of preparation, our team presented EBM's research, vision, and collaborative spirit. A huge thank you to everyone who made these two days possible - we're proud of this team effort and now look forward to the funding decision! 🤞

17 July

🧠🌎 Join us at WCCM-ECCOMAS 2026! We're excited to announce the minisymposium MS032 - Exploring Brain Mechanics 📅 July 19-24, 2026 📍ICM - International Congress Center Messe München

17 July

Organanized by Silvia Budday (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg), Gerhard Holzapfel (TU Graz), and Paul Steinmann (FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg). We look forward to inspiring discussions and to connecting with the brain mechanics community in Munich! #WCCM2026 #ECCOMAS2026

🧠 Insights from our EBM (Post-)Doctoral Researchers’ Seminar!

Soheil Firooz (C01) introduced the Double-Agent Framework, a novel computational approach to model neural network formation by combining agent-based modeling and continuum mechanics. A great example of the interdisciplinary research and exchange within EBM! 🔬✨

crc1540-ebm.research.fau.euDoctoral Researchers‘ Seminar by Erica Cecchini (A02) and Soheil Firooz (C01)On May 20, 2026, Erica Cecchini and Soheil Firooz jointly held a doctoral seminar at the MPZPM in Erlangen, providing an opportunity to present and discuss their ongoing doctoral research projects.

Full report on our website: www.crc1540-ebm.research.fau.eu/2026/06/02/d... Photos: E. Cecchini, S. Firooz

🧠 Insights from our EBM (Post-)Doctoral Researchers’ Seminar!

Erica Cecchini (A02) presented findings from her recent MOGHE study, revealing the unexpected presence of Y-chromosomal material in lesion tissue—including in some female patients.

18 June

🎤✨ Learning how to communicate science effectively! At the workshop “How to Pitch Your Project” with Dr. Stefanie Hülsenbeck, EBM early-career researchers practiced presenting without slides, received individual feedback, and gained valuable insights into effective scientific communication.

crc1540-ebm.research.fau.euFrom Raw Talks to Better PresentationsAs early career researchers, we often focus so much on our data that we forget how we actually present it. We (Guillaume, Irem, and Lucas) recently attended a Presentation Workshop that was extremely…

18 June

A great opportunity to build confidence and sharpen presentation skills! Full report: www.crc1540-ebm.research.fau.eu/2026/05/07/p... Photos: S. Hülsenbeck, A. Dakkouri-Baldauf

crc1540-ebm.research.fau.euFrom Molecules to Matrices – Inside the EBM Harmonization WorkshopHow do you explain the complexities of molecular biology to an audience of physicists, engineers, and materials scientists? That was the goal of PD Dr. rer. nat. Dr. habil. med. Katja Kobow…

12 June

🧬🧠 Multi-omics, molecular biology & computational workflows - all in one workshop! At the latest EBM Harmonization Workshop, Katja Kobow and Paraskevi Chasani introduced EBM researchers to modern approaches for analyzing and integrating complex biological data.