Johannes Weickenmeier

Professor Johannes Weickenmeier is an Associate Professor of Brain Health at the University of Oxford's Department of Engineering Science and a Fellow of St. Cross College. He leads the Brain Health initiative at the Podium Institute and previously served as Director of the Center for Neuromechanics at Stevens Institute of Technology (2022–2024). He holds a Dr. Sc. ETH Zurich (2015) and completed postdoctoral training at Stanford University. His research focuses on computational models to study brain mechanics in aging, neurodegeneration, and traumatic injury, aiming to enable early diagnosis of abnormal brain changes.

Education & Positions:

• PhD in Engineering, ETH Zurich (2015)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Stanford University (2015–2018)
• Assistant Professor, Stevens Institute of Technology (2018–2024)

Research Interests: His work integrates biomechanical, biochemical, and computational approaches to understand brain damage mechanisms. Key areas include multiphysics modeling of brain aging, prion-like disease progression, and the mechanical role of myelination. His lab uses finite-element analysis, inverse modeling, and AI-driven tools like AI-dente for soft tissue characterization.

Awards & Recognition:

• 2024 National Science Foundation CAREER Award
• 2022 Editor’s Choice Award for ventricular wall modeling study
• 2022 Stevens Employee Recognition Award for student-centric initiatives

Grants & Mentorship: He secured major grants including the NSF CAREER Award and supervised numerous undergraduate researchers. His 2020 paper details lessons from virtual undergraduate research programs.

Labs & Teams: He founded the Center for Neuromechanics at Stevens (2019) and collaborates with the Institute of Biomedical Engineering in Oxford.