Biography
Professor Johannes Weickenmeier is an Associate Professor of Brain Health in the Department of Engineering Science and a Fellow of St. Cross College since 2024. He is part of the Podium Institute and leads the efforts on Brain Health. He obtained his PhD from the ETH Zurich in 2015 and trained as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at Stanford University for three years. He then joined Stevens Institute of Technology as an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering from 2018-2024. His area of expertise is the design of theoretical and computational models to simulate and predict the multiphysics behaviour of living systems with a particular focus on the brain.
His group aims to understand the most prevalent damage mechanisms associated with healthy aging, neurodegenerative, and traumatic brain injury with the goal to facilitate early diagnosis of abnormal brain changes. Johannes is also the founding member of the Center for Neuromechanics at Stevens in 2019 and served as its Director from 2022-2024. He received the Stevens Employee Recognition Award for Student-Centricity in 2022 for his extensive efforts to promote undergraduate student research and was recently awarded the National Science Foundation Career Award in 2024.
Awards and Prizes
- 06/2024 National Science Foundation CAREER Award
- 11/2022 Editor’s Choice Award from Engineering with Computers for our manuscript titled 3D Finite-Element Brain Modelling of Lateral Ventricular Wall Loading to Rationalise Periventricular White Matter Hyperintensity Locations
- 04/2022 Employee Recognition Award for Student-Centricity from Stevens Institute of Technology
- 08/2018 Editor’s Choice Award from Physical Review Letters for our manuscript titled The Multiphysics of Prion-Like Diseases: Progression and Atrophy
- 09/2016 Editor’s Choice Award from Physical Review Letters for our manuscript titled Stress Singularities in Swelling Soft Solids
Research Interests
- Experimental Continuum Mechanics Mechanics of Soft Materials
- Computational Multiscale and Multiphysics Mechanics
- Longitudinal Image Registration
- Neuromechanics of Aging, Injury, and Neurodegenerative Diseases
Current Projects
Multiphysics Continuum Modelling of Brain Aging
We aim to predict cerebral atrophy to compare brain shape changes in healthy and accelerated aging.
Experimental Characterisation of Periventricular Tissues
We develop experimental protocols to measure temporal and spatial gradients in the mechanical properties of periventricular tissues.
Longitudinal Image Registration
We use nonlinear image registration to quantify brain shape changes from longitudinal image data.
Research Groups
Publications
Triaxial mechanical characterization of ultrasoft 3D support bath-based bioprinted tubular GelMA constructs
Torza A, Zgeib R, Wang X, Zaeri A, Zhang F et al. (2024), International Journal of Solids and Structures, 301
BibTeX
@article{triaxialmechani-2024/6,
title={Triaxial mechanical characterization of ultrasoft 3D support bath-based bioprinted tubular GelMA constructs},
author={Torza A, Zgeib R, Wang X, Zaeri A, Zhang F et al.},
journal={International Journal of Solids and Structures},
volume={301},
number={112938},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2024"
}
Insights into the mechanical characterization of mouse brain tissue using microindentation testing
Zhang X, van den Hurk EAN & Weickenmeier J (2024), Current Protocols, 4(4)
BibTeX
@article{insightsintothe-2024/4,
title={Insights into the mechanical characterization of mouse brain tissue using microindentation testing},
author={Zhang X, van den Hurk EAN & Weickenmeier J},
journal={Current Protocols},
volume={4},
number={e1011},
publisher={Wiley},
year = "2024"
}
Brain stiffness follows cuprizone-induced variations in local myelin content
Zhang X & Weickenmeier J (2023), Acta Biomaterialia, 170, 507-518
BibTeX
@article{brainstiffnessf-2023/9,
title={Brain stiffness follows cuprizone-induced variations in local myelin content},
author={Zhang X & Weickenmeier J},
journal={Acta Biomaterialia},
volume={170},
pages={507-518},
publisher={Elsevier},
year = "2023"
}
AI-dente: an open machine learning based tool to interpret nano-indentation data of soft tissues and materials.
Giolando P, Kakaletsis S, Zhang X, Weickenmeier J, Castillo E et al. (2023), Soft matter, 19(35), 6710-6720
BibTeX
@article{aidenteanopenma-2023/9,
title={AI-dente: an open machine learning based tool to interpret nano-indentation data of soft tissues and materials.},
author={Giolando P, Kakaletsis S, Zhang X, Weickenmeier J, Castillo E et al.},
journal={Soft matter},
volume={19},
pages={6710-6720},
publisher={Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC)},
year = "2023"
}
A multiphysics model to predict periventricular white matter hyperintensity growth during healthy brain aging.
Ca??oilo A, Dortdivanlioglu B, Rusinek H & Weickenmeier J (2023), Brain multiphysics, 5, 100072
BibTeX
@article{amultiphysicsmo-2023/5,
title={A multiphysics model to predict periventricular white matter hyperintensity growth during healthy brain aging.},
author={Ca??oilo A, Dortdivanlioglu B, Rusinek H & Weickenmeier J},
journal={Brain multiphysics},
volume={5},
number={100072},
pages={100072},
publisher={Elsevier BV},
year = "2023"
}
Mechanical loading of the ventricular wall as a spatial indicator for periventricular white matter degeneration.
Visser VL, Ca??oilo A, Rusinek H & Weickenmeier J (2023), Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials, 143, 105921
BibTeX
@article{mechanicalloadi-2023/5,
title={Mechanical loading of the ventricular wall as a spatial indicator for periventricular white matter degeneration.},
author={Visser VL, Ca??oilo A, Rusinek H & Weickenmeier J},
journal={Journal of the mechanical behavior of biomedical materials},
volume={143},
number={105921},
pages={105921},
publisher={Elsevier BV},
year = "2023"
}
Exploring the multiphysics of the brain during development, aging, and in neurological diseases.
Weickenmeier J (2023), Brain multiphysics, 4, 100068
BibTeX
@article{exploringthemul-2023/4,
title={Exploring the multiphysics of the brain during development, aging, and in neurological diseases.},
author={Weickenmeier J},
journal={Brain multiphysics},
volume={4},
number={100068},
pages={100068},
publisher={Elsevier BV},
year = "2023"
}
Special Issue: Imaging-based methods in computational medicine
Tepole AB, Weickenmeier J, Holland M & Grytz R (2022), Engineering with Computers, 38(5), 3831-3833
BibTeX
@article{specialissueima-2022/10,
title={Special Issue: Imaging-based methods in computational medicine},
author={Tepole AB, Weickenmeier J, Holland M & Grytz R},
journal={Engineering with Computers},
volume={38},
pages={3831-3833},
publisher={Springer Nature},
year = "2022"
}
3D finite-element brain modeling of lateral ventricular wall loading to rationalize periventricular white matter hyperintensity locations.
Ca??oilo A, Rusinek H & Weickenmeier J (2022), Engineering with computers, 38(5), 3939-3955
BibTeX
@article{dfiniteelementb-2022/7,
title={3D finite-element brain modeling of lateral ventricular wall loading to rationalize periventricular white matter hyperintensity locations.},
author={Ca??oilo A, Rusinek H & Weickenmeier J},
journal={Engineering with computers},
volume={38},
pages={3939-3955},
publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
year = "2022"
}
Peak ependymal cell stretch overlaps with the onset locations of periventricular white matter lesions.
Visser VL, Rusinek H & Weickenmeier J (2021), Scientific reports, 11(1), 21956
BibTeX
@article{peakependymalce-2021/11,
title={Peak ependymal cell stretch overlaps with the onset locations of periventricular white matter lesions.},
author={Visser VL, Rusinek H & Weickenmeier J},
journal={Scientific reports},
volume={11},
number={21956},
pages={21956},
publisher={Springer Science and Business Media LLC},
year = "2021"
}
DPhil Opportunities
We are always looking for new DPhil students and are happy to host (international) visiting students for thesis projects! Check out our Open Positions page for additional information.
Contact Prof. Weickenmeier to inquire about available projects: johannes.weickenmeier@eng.ox.ax.uk
