Kai Willner

Prof. Dr.-Ing. habil. Kai Willner is a distinguished Professor at the Chair of Engineering Mechanics within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). His research spans multiple domains of computational mechanics with significant contributions to structural dynamics, uncertainty quantification, and biomechanics. His current work focuses on innovative applications of fuzzy arithmetic in engineering systems and the mechanics of brain tissue.

• Principal Investigator for SFB 1540 EBM (Erforschung der Mechanik des Gehirns)
• Lead researcher on multiple DFG-funded projects including polymorphic uncertainty modeling
• Active participant in international collaborations on structural dynamics
• Member of the research group FOR 2271 on process-oriented tolerance management

Willner's research interests center on computational mechanics with emphasis on uncertainty quantification, fuzzy-stochastic finite element methods, contact mechanics, and brain biomechanics. His work addresses fundamental challenges in modeling systems with uncertain parameters, particularly in heterogeneous materials and biological systems. His research group develops advanced computational frameworks that integrate fuzzy arithmetic with traditional finite element methods to handle epistemic and aleatoric uncertainties simultaneously, with applications ranging from microstructural analysis to brain mechanics.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong trend toward interdisciplinary research, particularly at the intersection of computational mechanics and neuroscience. His work on brain mechanics within the SFB 1540 EBM project represents a significant shift toward biomedical applications of traditional mechanical engineering methods. His publications consistently demonstrate expertise in vibration analysis, structural dynamics, and uncertainty quantification, with increasing focus on applying these methods to biological systems and complex material behaviors.

Prof. Willner has secured substantial third-party funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG), including multiple collaborative research center (SFB/TRR) projects, research units (FOR), and individual grants. His current major projects include the SFB 1540 EBM (2023-2026) investigating brain mechanics, and continuing work on polymorphic uncertainty modeling in heterogeneous materials.

Within the SFB 1540 EBM consortium, Willner leads research on model-based matching of ex vivo and in vivo test data (project X01), focusing on resolving contradictions in mechanical properties of ultraweak brain tissue materials across different testing modalities. His team develops continuum-based simulation models to unify various experimental observations into a coherent mechanical framework for brain tissue.