Colleen Witzenburg

Colleen Witzenburg is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, with affiliations in the College of Engineering and Mechanical Engineering. Her research focuses on cardiovascular biomechanics, particularly tissue growth/remodeling, computational modeling, and soft tissue mechanics. She holds the Jane R. and John G. Mandula Assistant Professorship (2023) and has received prestigious awards including the NSF CAREER Award (2025).

Education:

• PhD, Biomedical Engineering, University of Minnesota (2014)
• MS, Mechanical Engineering, University of Minnesota (2011)
• BS, Mechanical Engineering, Iowa State University (2009)

Research Interests: Her work addresses disease-driven tissue remodeling, spatial heterogeneity in cardiovascular systems, and computational models for treatment optimization. Key areas include congenital heart defects, aortic diseases, and myocardial infarction. She leads the Cardiovascular Biomechanics Laboratory, advancing experimental and computational methods to study tissue failure mechanisms and therapeutic strategies.

Awards & Honors:

• 2025: NIH MIRA Award, NSF CAREER Award
• 2023: Mandula Assistant Professorship
• 2020: Children’s Heart Foundation Career Award
• 2017: AHA Postdoctoral Fellowship

Teaching & Mentorship: Teaches courses in biofluidics, tissue mechanics, and heart disease biology at both undergraduate and graduate levels. Supervises research through thesis advising in BME and Mechanical Engineering programs.

Labs/Teams: Directs the Cardiovascular Biomechanics Lab, collaborating with clinical and engineering teams to translate mechanical insights into clinical solutions.