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Christian Franck

Christian Franck

Bjorn Borgen Professor
gscholar website
lab website
linkedin website

Dr. Franck is the Bjorn Borgen Professor in Mechanical Engineering and the acting director of the Center for Traumatic Brain Injury at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the ONR-funded “Physics-based Neutralization of Threats to Human Tissues and Organs” (PANTHER) program, which consists of over 30 PIs nationwide. Key objectives of Dr. Franck’s research program within PANTHER are in advanced detection and prevention of traumatic brain injuries by providing accelerated translation from basic science discovery to civilian and warfighter protection solutions.

Our lab focuses on the development of innovative 2D and 3D, full-field imaging and motion tracking techniques with applications to mechanobiology, biomechanics and the mechanics of soft materials.
Current application areas of our experimental techniques include investigating the mechanobiology of neurons in the brain during traumatic brain injuries, the adhesion and migration behavior of human neutrophils, and the role of non-linear material deformations in soft matter.

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Contact

3047, Mechanical Engineering Bldg
1513 University Ave
Madison, WI
p: (608) 265-8481

Professor Christian Franck, Mechanical Engineering, University of Wisconsin–Madison

  • PhD 2008, California Institute of Technology
  • MS 2004, California Institute of Technology
  • BS 2003, University of Virginia

  • Mechanobiology of cellular Traumatic Brain Injury
  • Mechanobiology of the host defense of human neutrophils
  • Experimental Characterization of Soft Materials
  • High-strain rate behavior of soft materials and tissues

  • 2025 Society for Experimental Mechanics, Fellow
  • 2023 College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, H.I. Romnes Faculty Fellow Professorship Award
  • 2023 Society for Experimental Mechanics, M. Hetenyi Best Journal Paper Award
  • 2022 College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Bjorn Borgen Professorship
  • 2018 College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Grainger Institute for Engineering Professorship
  • 2017 Brown University, Master of Arts, ad eundem
  • 2017 Society for Experimental Mechanics, Young Investigator Lecture Award
  • 2011 Applied Mechanics Division Haythornthwaite, Research Initiation Grant Award
  • 2010 Brown University, Salomon Award
  • 2009 William F. Ballhaus Prize in Aeronautics
  • 2007 Ernest E. Sechler Memorial Award in Aeronautics
  • 2005 Kavli Nanoscience Institute, Kavli Nanoscience Institute Travel Stipend
  • 2003 California Institute of Technology, Special Institute Fellowship
  • 2001 NASA, NASA Virginia Space Grant Consortium Scholarship
  • 1999 School of Engineering and Applied Science, University of Virginia, Rodman Scholar

  • Liang, N., Milesh, L., Buttram, K. N., Park, J. L., Zhang, J., Summey, L. A., Franck, C., Beebe, D. J., Le, H. D., & Li, C. (2025). Under-oil neuronal cell culture: Enhanced system stability, yield, and modulated oxygen environment. Journal of Neuroscience Methods, 422, 110511 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneumeth.2025.110511
  • Kotha, S. R., Blank, J. L., Kahr, S. M., Reiter, A. J., Candan, S., Franck, C., & Thelen, D. G. (2025). Shear wave propagation as a noninvasive metric of loading and microdamage in tendon fascicles. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 169, 107081 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2025.107081
  • Adebowale, K., Allan, C., Ha, B., Saraswathibhatla, A., Zhu, J., Indana, D., Popescu, M. C., Demirdjian, S., Martinez, H. A., Esclamado, A., Yang, J., Bassik, M. C., Franck, C., Bollyky, P. L., & Chaudhuri, O. (2025). Monocytes use protrusive forces to generate migration paths in viscoelastic collagen-based extracellular matrices. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 122(25) https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2309772122
  • Candan, S., Barton, V., Yang, H., López‐Cámara, C., Fortugno, P., Wiggers, H., Eriten, M., Andrews, J., Notbohm, J., & Franck, C. (2025). Design of a Simple and Rugged Soft Polydimethylsiloxane‐Carbon Nanotube‐Graphene‐Based Composite Sensor. Advanced Materials Technologies https://doi.org/10.1002/admt.202402126
  • Tripathi, A., Wan, Y., Malave, S., Turcsanyi, S., Fawzi, A. L., Brooks, A., Kesari, H., Snedden, T., Ferrazzano, P., Franck, C., & Carlsen, R. W. (2025). Laboratory Evaluation of a Wearable Instrumented Headband for Rotational Head Kinematics Measurement. Annals of Biomedical Engineering https://doi.org/10.1007/s10439-025-03746-7
  • Nakarmi, S., Wang, Y., Fawzi, A. L., Franck, C., & Carlsen, R. W. (2025). Estimating Brain Injury Risk from Shipborne Underwater Blasts Using a High-fidelity Finite Element Head Model. Military Medicine, 190(1-2), e202-e210 https://doi.org/10.1093/milmed/usae309
  • Tao, J., Sun, X., & Franck, C. (2024). Experimental approach for characterizing the nonlinear, time and temperature‐dependent constitutive response of open‐cell polyurethane foams. Strain, 60(6) https://doi.org/10.1111/str.12478
  • Franck, C., & Fawzi, A. L. (2024). Advanced brain injury detection and protection. Open Access Government, 41(1), 126-127 https://doi.org/10.56367/oag-041-11144
  • Ramey-Ward, A. N., Dong, Y., Yang, J., Ogasawara, H., Bremer-Sai, E. C., Brazhkina, O., Franck, C., Davis, M., & Salaita, K. (2023). Optomechanically Actuated Hydrogel Platform for Cell Stimulation with Spatial and Temporal Resolution. ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering, 9(9), 5361-5375 https://doi.org/10.1021/acsbiomaterials.3c00516
  • Fawzi, A. L., & Franck, C. (2023). Beyond symptomatic diagnosis of mild traumatic brain injury. Concussion, 8(2) https://doi.org/10.2217/cnc-2023-0005

  • B M E 890 - Pre-dissertation Research (Spring 2025)
  • B M E 990 - Research and Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • M E 699 - Advanced Independent Study (Spring 2025)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • M E 990 - Dissertator Research and Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • B M E 890 - Pre-dissertation Research (Fall 2024)
  • B M E 990 - Research and Thesis (Fall 2024)
  • E M A 303 - Mechanics of Materials (Fall 2024)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Fall 2024)
  • M E 990 - Dissertator Research and Thesis (Fall 2024)
  • B M E 890 - Pre-dissertation Research (Summer 2024)
  • B M E 990 - Research and Thesis (Summer 2024)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Summer 2024)
  • M E 990 - Dissertator Research and Thesis (Summer 2024)
  • B M E 890 - Pre-dissertation Research (Spring 2024)
  • B M E 990 - Research and Thesis (Spring 2024)
  • E M A 523 - Flight Dynamics and Control (Spring 2024)
  • M E 352 - Interdisciplinary Experiential Design Projects II (Spring 2024)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Spring 2024)
  • B M E 890 - Pre-dissertation Research (Fall 2023)
  • B M E 990 - Research and Thesis (Fall 2023)
  • M E 351 - Interdisciplinary Experiential Design Projects I (Fall 2023)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Fall 2023)
  • B M E 890 - Pre-dissertation Research (Summer 2023)
  • M E 890 - PhD Research and Thesis (Summer 2023)