IAS / School of Engineering Joint Lecture - Multiscale Mechanics of Cells and Tissues

Abstract

The functions and pathologies of tissues and organs emerge from intricate, cross-scale interactions among mechanical, chemical, and biological signals. In this talk, the speaker will present his recent experimental and theoretical advances in multiscale biomechanics, with a particular emphasis on the mechanobiological principles governing embryonic morphogenesis and tumor progression. He will first introduce multiscale biomechanical models, integrated with AI-assisted computational methods, that capture the dynamic behaviors of cells and tissues within complex microenvironments. He will then explore dynamic instabilities occurring across diverse spatiotemporal scales, revealing the underlying mechano–chemo–biological coupling mechanisms that drive these non-equilibrium transitions. Finally, by combining precise in vitro and in vivo measurements with rigorous theoretical analyses, the speaker will address the migration of collective cell clusters, a key process in both development and cancer, and demonstrate the existence of time-independent statistical laws that govern their invasive dynamics. These findings not only deepen our fundamental understanding of developmental biology and tumor mechanics, but also open new avenues for mechanically guided diagnostics and therapeutics.


About the speaker

Prof. FENG Xiqiao is currently a Chair Professor of Engineering Mechanics at Tsinghua University, where he has served since 2001. He received his B.E. in Engineering Mechanics in 1990, M.S. in Solid Mechanics in 1991, and Ph.D. in Solid Mechanics in 1995, all from Tsinghua University. Following his doctorate, he held positions as Post-doctor and Associate Professor at the Institute of Nuclear Energy and Technology at Tsinghua (1995–1997). He was awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation Research Fellowship at the Technical University of Darmstadt, Germany (1997–1998), and a Europe Research Fellowship at the Koiter Institute Delft, Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands (1999).

He has been actively involved in academic service as an editorial board member for several leading journals, including Chinese Journal of Solid Mechanics, Acta Mechanica Solida Sinica, Multidiscipline Modeling in Materials and Structures, Engineering Fracture Mechanics, Acta Mechanica Sinica, and Archive of Applied Mechanics.

Prof. Feng’s research focuses on biomechanics and biomimetics of biomaterials, cell mechanics, micromechanics and nanomechanics, as well as damage and fracture mechanics. His group investigates the mechanics of biological materials to understand structure–composition–property–function relationships across multiple length scales, seeking inspiration from nature to address key technological challenges. Current efforts emphasize cell mechanics, particularly adaptive cellular responses to environmental interactions, along with multidisciplinary phenomena in micro- and nano-sized materials and devices.


For Attendees' Attention

Seating is on a first come, first served basis.