Structure

EBM is structured into three focal research areas (FRA) focusing on cerebral (A), spinal (B), and cellular mechanics (C), and an overarching cross-sectional research area (XRA).

A – Cerebral Mechanics:

FRA A focuses on brain development with special emphasis on brain malformations associated with neurological disorders such as epilepsy. Computational modelling in A01 will help systematically understand physical mechanisms underlying brain malformations and benefits from quantitative characterisation of human brain malformations in A02 and the in vitro and in vivo insights gained for brain development in Xenopus (A03/A05) and organoids (A03/A04) based on engineered brain tissue-like matrices.

FRA B – Spinal Mechanics:

FRA B focuses on spinal cord injury and disease with special emphasis on mechanically stimulated regeneration of CNS function. Computational modelling of spinal cord injury, disease and regeneration in B01 assists and builds on unravelling regeneration/disease-promoting/limiting characteristics and determinants of its mechanical landscape in B02, B03, B04, and exploration of in vivo mechanical manipulation in B05.

FRA C – Cellular Mechanics:

FRA C focuses on the role of mechanics in cell-matrix-interactions. Computational modelling of cell-matrix-interactions in C01 targets the role of mechanics for neuronal ‘plasticity’, seizure-like hyperactivity and cellular differentiation investigated in C02, C03 and C04, all informed by the versatile experimental platform established in C05 and corresponding insights into mechanosensing and -transduction.

XRA – Cross-sectional projects:

The overarching cross-sectional projects in XRA will focus on the standardisation and integration of in vivo and ex vivo testing data across scales (X01), the transferability of data from different species and experimental methods through advanced machine learning techniques (X02), and the design of engineered substitute materials for brain tissue (X03).

EBM structure (PDF)