Christian Franck

Christian Franck is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with affiliations in Biomedical Engineering and Nuclear Engineering & Engineering Physics. He holds interdisciplinary roles within the College of Engineering and has received numerous awards including the 2023 H.I. Romnes Faculty Fellowship and 2023 M. Hetenyi Best Journal Paper Award.

Education: PhD (2008) and MS (2004) from California Institute of Technology, BS (2003) from University of Virginia. Research focuses on biomechanics of neural injury, soft material characterization, and 3D bioprinting. Notable work includes modeling blast traumatic brain injury mechanisms and developing novel hydrogel-based systems.

Recent work emphasizes inertial microcavitation, cellular traction force microscopy, and material response under extreme conditions. Courses taught include advanced mechanics, design projects, and doctoral research supervision.

• Awards: Over 15 honors including Romnes Fellowships, Borgen Professorship, and Hetenyi Paper Award
• Grants: Active research funding supports trauma biomechanics and soft material innovation
• Labs: Leads teams in biomechanics, 3D printing, and cellular mechanics studies