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Jacob Notbohm

Jacob Notbohm

Harvey D. Spangler Associate Professor
gscholar website
lab website

The Notbohm Research Group studies mechanics of soft materials. Current areas of interest are in mechanics of fibrous materials, cell-matrix interactions, and collective cell migration. This work draws on the fields of engineering mechanics, soft matter physics, applied math, and cell biology.

Applications of this research are in improving human health by developing new diagnostics and treatments to disease and in engineering materials that sustain large deformations and resist damage.

Department

Mechanical Engineering

Contact

525, Engineering Research Building
1500 Engineering Dr
Madison, WI
p: (608) 890-0030

  • PhD 2013, California Institute of Technology
  • MS 2009, California Institute of Technology
  • BS 2007, University of Wisconsin-Madison

  • solid mechanics
  • biomechanics
  • cell mechanics
  • biomaterials
  • collective cell migration
  • optical microscopy
  • adhesion

  • 2023 College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Benjamin Smith Reynolds Award for Excellence in Teaching
  • 2020 Society for Experimental Mechanics, Springer Young Investigator Lecture
  • 2019 College of Engineering, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Harvey D. Spangler Assistant Professorship
  • 2018 3M, 3M Non-Tenured Faculty Award
  • 2018 National Science Foundation, NSF CAREER Award
  • 2016 University of Wisconsin-Madison, UW Housing, Honored Instructor Award (Nominated)
  • 2014 British Society for Strain Measurement, Fylde Strain Best Paper Prize for 2013
  • 2013 California Institute for Technology, Centennial Prize for Best Thesis in Mechanical and Civil Engineering
  • 2009 National Science Foundation, Graduate Research Fellowship
  • 2009 Department of Defense, National Defense Science & Engineering Graduate Fellowship
  • 2008 Hertz Fellowship Foundation, National Finalist

  • Siegfreid, J., Crampton, A., Saghazadeh, S., Christensen, R., Notbohm, J., Bjork, J., & Baker, B. (2024). An integrative biology approach to understanding keratinocyte collective migration as stimulated by bioglass. Integr Biol, 16, zyae008 https://doi.org/10.1093/intbio/zyae008
  • Nejad, M. R., Ruske, L. J., McCord, M., Zhang, J., Zhang, G., Notbohm, J., & Yeomans, J. M. (2024). Stress-shape misalignment in confluent cell layers. Nat Comm, 15(1), 3628 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-47702-w
  • Micek, H. M., Yang, N., Dutta, M., Rosenstock, L., Ma, Y., Hielsberg, C., McCord, M., Notbohm, J., McGregor, S., & Kreeger, P. K. (2024). The role of Piezo1 mechanotransduction in high-grade serous ovarian cancer: Insights from an in vitro model of collective detachment. Sci Adv, 10(17), eadl4463 https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adl4463
  • Sarkar, M., Burkel, B. M., Ponik, S. M., & Notbohm, J. (2024). Unexpected softening of a fibrous matrix by contracting inclusions. Acta Biomater, 177, 253--264 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2024.01.025
  • Sarkar, M., & Notbohm, J. (2023). Bioinspired Fiber Networks With Tunable Mechanical Properties by Additive Manufacturing. J Appl Mech, 90(8), 081010 https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4062451
  • Saraswathibhatla, A., Zhang, J., & Notbohm, J. (2022). Coordination of contractile tension and cell area changes in an epithelial cell monolayer. Phys Rev E, 105(2), 024404 https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevE.105.024404
  • Proestaki, M., Sarkar, M., Burkel, B. M., Ponik, S. M., & Notbohm, J. (2022). Effect of hyaluronic acid on microscale deformations of collagen gels. J Mech Behav Biomed, 135, 105465 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmbbm.2022.105465
  • Vazquez, K., Saraswathibhatla, A., & Notbohm, J. (2022). Effect of substrate stiffness on friction in collective cell migration. Sci Rep, 12, 2474 https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-022-06504-0
  • Sarkar, M., & Notbohm, J. (2022). Evolution of Force Chains Explains the Onset of Strain Stiffening in Fiber Networks. J Appl Mech, 89(11), 111008 https://doi.org/10.1007/s11340-022-00870-6
  • Sivagurunathan, S., Vahabikashi, A., Yang, H., Zhang, J., Vazquez, K., Rajasundaram, D., Politanska, Y., Abdala-Valencia, H., Notbohm, J., Guo, M., Adam, S. A., & Goldman, R. D. (2022). Expression of vimentin alters cell mechanics, cell-cell adhesion, and gene expression profiles suggesting the induction of a hybrid EMT in human mammary epithelial cells. Front Cell Dev Biol, 10, 929495 https://doi.org/10.3389/fcell.2022.929495

  • E M A 599 - Independent Study (Spring 2025)
  • E M A 890 - Pre-Dissertator Research (Spring 2025)
  • E M A 990 - Research and Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • M E 990 - Dissertator Research and Thesis (Spring 2025)
  • E M A 890 - Pre-Dissertator Research (Fall 2024)
  • E M A 990 - Research and Thesis (Fall 2024)
  • E M A 890 - Pre-Dissertator Research (Summer 2024)
  • B M E 601 - Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering (Spring 2024)
  • CIV ENGR 649 - Special Topics in Structural Engineering (Spring 2024)
  • E M A 601 - Special Topics in Engineering Mechanics (Spring 2024)
  • E M A 611 - Advanced Mechanical Testing of Materials (Spring 2024)
  • E M A 890 - Pre-Dissertator Research (Spring 2024)
  • B M E 601 - Special Topics in Biomedical Engineering (Fall 2023)
  • CIV ENGR 649 - Special Topics in Structural Engineering (Fall 2023)
  • E M A 599 - Independent Study (Fall 2023)
  • E M A 601 - Special Topics in Engineering Mechanics (Fall 2023)
  • E M A 890 - Pre-Dissertator Research (Fall 2023)
  • E M A 990 - Research and Thesis (Fall 2023)
  • E M A 890 - Pre-Dissertator Research (Summer 2023)
  • E M A 990 - Research and Thesis (Summer 2023)