Christian Franck

Meet Christian Franck, a renowned mechanical engineer with a focus on cellular biomechanics and advanced experimental mechanics techniques. He completed his Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Virginia in 2003 and went on to further his education by obtaining his Master's degree and Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology in 2004 and 2008, respectively.

Dr. Franck has a wealth of experience in his field, having held various positions such as a postdoctoral fellow at Harvard University, assistant and associate professor of mechanics at Brown University from 2009-2018, and now as the Grainger Institute for Engineering Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

His expertise in cellular biomechanics involves a fundamental understanding of how cells function and respond to stimuli such as mechanical forces at the micro and nanoscale. Dr. Franck's research is aimed at understanding the mechanics behind brain and neural trauma, adhesion and migration of human neutrophils in complex 3D environments, and nonlinear deformation behavior of soft matter.

At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Dr. Franck leads a team of researchers that has developed unique confocal microscopy and digital volume correlation techniques for three-dimensional full-field imaging. This technology is used in a wide range of applications, from studying the 3D deformation behavior of neurons during traumatic brain injuries to investigating the behavior of human neutrophils in 3D environments.

In a rapidly evolving field like biomechanics, Christian Franck has built a reputation as a thought leader and a prolific researcher. His work is shaping the direction of experimental mechanics and has the potential to unlock new insights into the mechanics of living systems.