This is the 9th Summer School on Biomechanics in the series we have organized. Its aim is to provide a state-of-the-art overview of biomechanical modeling, simulation and experimental methods at different length scales.
The lectures will cover essential ingredients of continuum mechanics, nonlinear elasticity, and the finite element method including fluid-structure interactions (FSIs), with an emphasis on various aspects of mechanical and structural modeling of fiber-reinforced materials. Applications to soft tissues, arterial walls, aortic aneurysms (mechanics, mechanobiology and pathogenesis), aortic dissections and the heart are highlighted. Particular interest is also focused on the continuous and discrete mechanical modeling of collagen fiber dispersion including cross-linking, fiber recruitment and damage, and on cardiac cells with a focus on mechanosignaling, growth, remodeling and excitation-contraction.
In addition, the mechanics of collagen and elastin networks and the non-local damage and healing of soft tissues are studied. Applications of FSIs to the respiratory system are also discussed. Moreover, quantitative characterization and reduction of uncertainties in complex biomechanical applications are investigated (uncertainty quantification).
Experimental techniques for the determination of the mechanical properties of tissues, cells, cellular components, and proteins will be described. In particular, cell mechanics studies of malaria and cancer are presented and cell mechanics-based microfluidics for disease diagnosis and precision therapy are discussed. The important area of parameter identification is covered by using full-field optical measurements with the virtual fields method in elasticity.
Future directions and challenges will be identified during the lectures for research in biomechanics at multiple scales, and mechanobiology involving mechanical, biological, electrical and fluid-structure interactions.
Audience
The Summer School is addressed to PhD students and postdoctoral researchers in biomedical engineering, biophysics, mechanical and civil engineering, applied mathematics and mechanics, materials science and physiology and more senior scientists and engineers (including some from relevant industries) whose interests are in the area of biomechanics and mechanobiology of proteins, soft tissues and organs.
Preliminary Suggested Readings
Y. Aboelkassem, J.D. Powers, K.J. McCabe, A.D. McCulloch: Multiscale models of cardiac muscle biophysics and tissue remodeling in hypertrophic cardiomyopathies. Curr Op BME, 11:35-44, 2019. [pdf]
S. Avril: Hyperelasticity of soft tissues and related inverse problems, in S. Avril, S. Evans (eds.): Material Parameter Identification and Inverse Problems in Soft Tissue Biomechanics. CISM Courses and Lectures No. 573, International Centre for Mechanical Sciences, Springer, 37-66, 2017. [pdf]
M.R. Bersi, C. Bellini, J.D. Humphrey, S. Avril: Local variations inmaterial and structural properties characterize murine thoracic aortic aneurysmmechanics. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 18:203–218, 2019. [pdf]
J. Biehler, M.W. Gee, W.A. Wall: Towards efficient uncertainty quantification in complex and large-scale biomechanical problems based on a Bayesian multi-fidelity scheme. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 14:489–513, 2015. [pdf]
O. Gültekin, H. Dal, G.A. Holzapfel: Numerical aspects of anisotropic failure in soft biological tissues favor energy-based criteria: A rate-dependent anisotropic crack phase-field model. Comput Methods Appl Mech Engrg, 331:23–52, 2018. [pdf]
Y. He, D. Zuo, K. Hackl, H. Yang, S.J. Mousavi, S. Avril: Gradient‑enhanced continuum models of healing in damaged soft tissues. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, 18:1443–1460, 2019. [pdf]
G.A. Holzapfel, J.A. Niestrawska, R.W. Ogden, A.J. Reinisch, A.J. Schriefl: Modelling non-symmetric collagen fibre dispersion in arterial walls. J R Soc Interface, 12:20150188, 2015. [pdf]
G.A. Holzapfel, R.W. Ogden: An arterial constitutive model accounting for collagen content and cross-linking. J Mech Phys Solids, in press. [pdf]
G.A. Holzapfel, R.W. Ogden (eds): Biomechanics: Trends in Modeling and Simulation, Springer, 2016. [link]
W. Krasny, C. Morin, H. Magoariec, S. Avril: A comprehensive study of layer-specific morphological changes in the microstructure of carotid arteries under uniaxial load. Acta Biomater, 57:342-351, 2017. [pdf]
K. Li, G.A. Holzapfel: Multiscale modeling of fiber recruitment and damage with a discrete fiber dispersion method. J Mech Phys Solids, 126:226-244, 2019. [pdf]
C.T. Lim, E.H. Zhou, S.T. Quek: Mechanical models for living cells—a review. J Biomech, 39:195-216, 2006. [pdf]
C.T. Lim, E.H. Zhou, A. Li, S.R.K. Vedula, H.X. Fu: Experimental techniques for single cell and single molecule biomechanics. Mater Sci Eng C, 26:1278-1288, 2006. [pdf]
A.D. McCulloch: Systems biophysics: Multiscale biophysical modeling of organ systems. J Biophys J, 110:1023-1027, 2016. [pdf]
C. Morin, S. Avril, C. Hellmich: Non-affine fiber kinematics in arterial mechanics: a continuum micromechanical investigation. Z Angew Math Mech, 98:2101-2121, 2018. [pdf]
S.J. Mousavi, S. Farzaneh, S. Avril: Patient‑specific predictions of aneurysm growth and remodeling in the ascending thoracic aorta using the homogenized constrained mixture model. Biomech Model Mechanobiol, https://doi.org/10.1007/s10237-019-01184-8. [pdf]
J.A. Niestrawska, P. Regitnig, C. Viertler, T.U. Cohnert, A.R. Babu, G.A. Holzapfel: The role of tissue remodeling in mechanics and pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysms. Acta Biomat, 88:149–161, 2019. [pdf]
C.J. Roth, L. Yoshihara, M. Ismail, W.A. Wall: Computational modelling of the respiratory system: Discussion of coupled modelling approaches and two recent extensions. Comput Methods Appl Mech Engrg, 314:473–493, 2017. [pdf]
S. Sherifova, G.A. Holzapfel: Biomechanics of aortic wall failure with a focus on dissection and aneurysm: a review. Acta Biomat, in press. [pdf]
G. Sommer, S. Sherifova, P.J. Oberwalder, O.E. Dapunt, P.A. Ursomanno, A. DeAnda, B.E. Griffith, G.A. Holzapfel: Mechanical strength of aneurysmatic and dissected human thoracic aortas at different shear loading modes. J Biomech, 49:2374–2382, 2016. [pdf]