Curtis Johnson

Curtis Johnson, Ph.D., is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at the University of Delaware's College of Engineering. His research focuses on using magnetic resonance elastography (MRE) to study brain tissue mechanics, particularly in neurological and neurosurgical applications. Dr. Johnson holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (2013), along with a M.Sc. (2010) and B.S. (2007) in Mechanical Engineering from Georgia Institute of Technology.

His research integrates advanced MRI techniques like MRE to explore brain stiffness, anisotropy, and poroelasticity, with applications in Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, cerebral palsy, and traumatic brain injury. He develops high-resolution MRE protocols, accelerated imaging algorithms, and nonlinear inversion methods for mechanical property estimation. Collaborative projects include biomechanical modeling of the brain-skull interface and exploring links between brain mechanics, cognition, and exercise.

Key areas include pediatric neurological disorders, aging brain mechanics, and translational research for clinical diagnostics. His lab's work bridges engineering innovation with clinical neurology, contributing to non-invasive assessment tools for brain health and disease progression. Dr. Johnson's research has led to over 50 peer-reviewed publications since 2016, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to biomedical engineering challenges.