Maria Holland

Maria Holland is an Associate Professor in the Department of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering at the University of Notre Dame's College of Engineering. Her research focuses on applying mechanics principles to understand brain development and diseases, particularly cortical folding and its implications across different life stages. She leads the CoMMaND Lab, emphasizing interdisciplinary collaboration with applied mathematics, child psychiatry, and education.

Education: Ph.D. (2017) and M.S. (2013) in Mechanical Engineering from Stanford University; B.S. (2011) in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tulsa.

Research interests include biomechanics of brain development, computational modeling of neurobiological processes, and tissue mechanics. Her work bridges engineering and medicine, addressing questions from embryonic brain formation to neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer's.

Her NIH MIRA and NSF CAREER awards recognize her innovative contributions. Notable articles explore cortical thickness variations, cerebral fluid pressure effects, and axonal tension's role in fold placement. She also advocates for academic policy improvements through studies on tenure-clock pausing.

Grants and collaborations include NIH and NSF funding. Her team's work is published in top journals across biomechanics, neuroscience, and computational medicine.