MECHANOBIOLOGY OF INJURY AND DEGENERATION LAB

Exploring the multiscale biophysics of injury and degeneration

Welcome to the Mechanobiology of Injury and Degeneration (MIND) Lab at IIT Delhi. We are an interdisciplinary computational research laboratory residing within the Center for Biomedical Engineering at IIT Delhi.

WHAT DO WE DO

We study the chemo-mechanical transduction of forces in living systems, focusing on how traumatic brain injuries trigger long-term neurodegeneration. We explore how proteins such as tau respond to mechanical impacts and biochemical factors, initiating disease pathways that culminate in chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) and other neuro-degenerative disorders.

HOW DO WE DO IT

Our multiscale methodologies prominently rely on physics-based computational modeling spanning:

• Continuum and molecular simulations that trace how traumatic impacts create cellular stresses and drive tau-protein phase separation and aggregation.

• Data-driven modeling that integrates high-resolution imaging and biochemical measurements from collaborators to constrain and validate our predictions.

• Mechanics-informed analysis linking molecular changes in tau and the cytoskeleton to tissue-level alterations observed after traumatic brain injury.

WHY IT MATTERS

Understanding the physical triggers of neurodegeneration opens doors to early diagnostics, new personalized therapies, and pre-emptive protection of high-risk populations - from sports and military personnels to anyone facing repetitive head trauma. Our goal is to translate fundamental mechanobiological insights into practical interventions that safeguard brain health across populations.

To learn more about our research please click here.