Vernerey Soft Matter Mechanics Group
Welcome to the
Computational Soft & Living Matter Lab @ CU BoulderÌý
Our interdisciplinary research group, led by Prof. Franck Vernerey, develops theoretical and computational models to understand how the dynamic internal structure of biopolymers and tissues give rise to their complex mechanical and biological functions.Ìý
We use predictive computational modeling to uncover how damage, growth, remodeling, and morphogenesis emerge from physical principles, laying the foundations for rationally designing next-generation biomaterials that support tissue repair, regeneration, and healing
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Polymer Networks
We aim to understand how the architecture and transient dynamics of molecular and fibrillar networks, ubiquitous in natural and engineered materials, give rise to their complex mechanical behaviors, from rheology to fracture, self-repair and growth, in order to harness these principles for next-generation polymers and biomaterials.
Engineered Living Solids
We aim to elucidate how cell–cell and cell–matrix interactions, coupled with proliferation and mechanical constraints imposed by hydrogels or biopolymer networks, give rise to emergent collective behaviors and tissue-scale organization, enabling the computational design of engineered tissues, organoids, and living materials.
Tissue Growth & Remodeling
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We seek to uncover how mechanical loads, microstructural remodeling, and cellular turnover jointly drive the growth, aging, and pathological transformation of vascular and arterial tissues, with the goal of establishing predictive biomechanical models that advance our understanding of artery disease, stroke and aneurysm progression.
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