Thomas-Peter Fries

Thomas-Peter Fries is a Professor at the Institute of Structural Analysis, TU Graz. His research focuses on computational mechanics, fluid-structure interaction (FSI), and biomedical engineering, particularly in modeling aortic dissection and hydraulic fracturing. He develops advanced numerical methods like the Trace Finite Element Method (TraceFEM), XFEM, and higher-order meshing techniques for complex geometries. Fries leads projects funded by FWF and EU, collaborating internationally on cardiovascular simulations and material science. His work bridges CAD integration, patient-specific modeling, and multiphysics problems, emphasizing accuracy and efficiency in FSI simulations.

Education and affiliations: PhD and habilitation in engineering, with extensive contributions to computational methods for structural analysis and fluid dynamics. Active in conferences and editorial roles, he has over 140 publications and 20+ projects since 2005. Research areas include fracture mechanics, numerical mathematics, and CFD applications in biomedical systems.

Key Projects:

• Embedded Manifolds: Continuously embedded manifold models in mechanics (FWF-funded, 2025–2029)
• Aortic Dissection: Simulating fluid-structure-crack interactions and thrombus formation (2018–2020)
• VEGA: CAD-based virtual prototyping with boundary element methods (2021–2025)

Scientific Contributions:

• Pioneered level-set-based methods for embedded substructures and FSI
• Developed high-order meshing schemes for implicit geometries
• Advanced patient-specific models for hemodynamics and aortic pathology

Labs/Teams: Part of TU Graz’s interdisciplinary teams in computational biomechanics and structural analysis. Collaborates with experts in cardiovascular medicine, materials science, and computer science.