Victor Barocas

Victor Barocas is a Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Minnesota, where he leads research at the intersection of tissue architecture and mechanics using multiscale computational models and mechanical experiments.

His work focuses on ascending thoracic aortic aneurysm remodeling (NIH U01 HL139471), spinal load effects on facet capsular ligaments (NIH U01 AT010326), tumor cell motility, fibrotic lung disease, and vibrotactile perception. These projects share a unifying theme of cross-scale mechanical and mechanobiological interactions, grounded in the principle that understanding any biological scale requires analysis of its smaller constituent scales.

Dr. Barocas directs the Barocas Research Group and serves as principal investigator on multiple federal grants. He advises graduate students in biomedical engineering, with current research emphasizing how macroscopic forces drive cellular responses that ultimately alter tissue function and pathology.