A person wearing medical equipment holding up a high-tech image of the brain

Center for Neuromechanics

The Center for Neuromechanics is an interdisciplinary, collaborative group of researchers and educators.

We're investigating the function, structure and health of the human brain and utilize mechanical engineering applications such as imaging, instrumentation, computation and rehabilitation to improve the quality of life for people with neurological disorders.

Johannes Weickenmeir in the Center for Neuromechanics

A First-of-it's-Kind Research Group

The Center for Neuromechanics at Stevens Institute of Technology is the first of its kind in the nation with a primary focus on the mechanical behavior of the neural system. Neuromechanics is an emerging and highly interdisciplinary field which is increasingly recognized as a fundamental contributor in understanding the function, structure and health of the human brain. One major challenge of this endeavor is finding a common language between diverse disciplines, which has limited the translation of engineering solutions into the clinical domain.

Graphic rendering of brain and synapses

Our Mission

Our interdisciplinary research network consists of radiologists, neurosurgeons, neurologists, engineers, neuroscientists, and applied mathematicians who are leading research and educational initiatives that serve as a bridge between mechanical and clinical brain health sciences. Our goal is to support more clinicians with mechanics-inspired solutions for neurological disorders and treatments.

From the Director

Johannes WeickenmeierJohannes Weickenmeier, Director of the Center for NeuromechanicsOur vision for the Center for Neuromechanics is to facilitate multidisciplinary research projects ranging from basic science to translation into clinical practice. We aim to facilitate symbiotic relationships between engineers, scientists, and clinicians to create novel approaches that reveal fundamental mechanisms of the brain during development, aging, and disease.

Research groups at Stevens study neural implants, body-brain coupling, rehabilitation methods, active guidewires, prosthetic devices, biomedical ultrasound, tissue engineering, and computational neuromechanics with applications ranging from neural repair, diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders, endovascular interventions, and Alzheimer’s disease. We strongly believe that (bio)mechanics and mechanobiology play a critical role in understanding the brain - especially as the brain deteriorates with age. Stevens’ unique location in the greater New York Metropolitan area provides a fertile ground for collaborations with pharmaceutical companies, research institutes, and hospitals.

Please contact us at any time. Our groups continuously look for clinical and research collaborations to address medically relevant applications.

Stay well,
Johannes Weickenmeier

Research at the Center for Neuromechanics

The Center For Neuromechanics brings scientists and clinicians across different disciplines together to study the mechanical behavior of the central nervous system. Our center activities are currently being sponsored by grants from National Science Foundation, National Institutes of Health, Department of Defense, and New Jersey Health Foundation totaling nearly $4 Million.

The center’s research efforts focus on four key topics:

  • Computational Biomechanics and Tissue Characterization

  • Medical Image Analysis

  • Biomechatronics and Human-Computer Interactions

  • Biofabrication

  • Surgical Interventions in the Brain