“Growth is the only evidence of life” — John Henry Cardinal Newman
The CoMMaND Lab explores how mechanical forces shape the growth, swelling, and form of living tissues and organisms.
We Are Hiring!
Graduate Student Openings
Positions available for motivated PhD students interested in computational mechanics of biological tissues, brain mechanics, immune system biomechanics, and growth theory.
Undergraduate Research Opportunities
Hands-on projects for Notre Dame undergrads in modeling, simulation, and analysis of tissue mechanics.
Every tissue in our bodies experiences constant mechanical loading—from gravity and movement to growth, swelling, and atrophy. In the CoMMaND Lab, we focus on two understudied systems: the brain and the immune system.
We apply solid mechanics, the finite element method, continuum growth and remodeling theory, and computational tools to uncover how mechanics influences form and function in health and disease. Our work bridges engineering and biology, offering fresh perspectives on brain development, injury, and immune responses.
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