Awarded in 2025
Home Department: Mechanical Engineering
Faculty Advisors: Ellen Kuhl (Mechanical Engineering), Vayu Hill-Maini (Bioengineering), and Marc Levenston (Mechanical Engineering)

Research Title: Mechanics Meets Machine Learning: AI-Driven Modeling of Soft Biological Materials for Food and Tissue Applications

Comprehensive frameworks for characterizing the mechanical behavior of soft biological materials—from natural tissues to engineered food products—are developed through advanced mechanical testing and AI integration. By combining multi-mode loading experiments with physics-informed neural networks, this work discovers interpretable models that capture the nonlinear, anisotropic properties of these complex materials. Fungi-based meat alternatives serve as a key application, linking mechanical behavior with sensory perception to inform AI-guided design of healthier, more appealing products. This approach accelerates material optimization and expands to broader applications in tissue engineering and biomaterials. Ultimately, this research supports sustainable food systems that benefit both human and planetary health while advancing fundamental biomechanics.