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From October 9–10, 2025, the EBM community gathered in the picturesque village of Muggendorf for its third annual retreat. Two days of scientific exchange, strategic planning, and team-building—including a lively archery tournament—brought researchers, PIs, and fellows together to connect, reflect, and inspire future progress.

The EBM Symposium 2025 at the Max Planck Institute for the Science of Light brought together 120 researchers from around 12 countries to explore the mechanics of the brain — fostering inspiring interdisciplinary exchange across biomechanics, neuroscience, and clinical research.

On September 28, 2025, CRC 1540 “Exploring Brain Mechanics” members and their families met at the Entlas-Keller beer garden. Under sunny skies, they enjoyed a relaxed afternoon, reconnected after the summer break, and gathered energy for the upcoming renewal phase.

Update: Program & Book of Abstracts Now Available! We are pleased to announce that the symposium program and the Book of Abstracts for the Exploring Brain Mechanics Symposium 2025 are now available. These documents provide detailed information about all confirmed talks, poster sessions, and s...

he 15th EBM Doctoral Researchers’ Seminar showcased diverse research, from Stefan Rampp’s neuroimaging-based analysis of cortical malformations to Mathar Kravikass’ in-silico modeling of neuronal network formation, revealing insights into brain mechanics and early neuron aggregation.

We are proud to announce that Prof. Aldo R. Boccaccini has received the prestigious George Winter Award from the European Society for Biomaterials. His award lecture at ESB2025 in Turin highlighted his pioneering work in biomaterials, tissue engineering, and nanomaterials.

On May 20th, the “Essentials of Starting a Start-up” workshop took place at ZOLLHOF, Nuremberg, for researchers from CRC 1540 EBM, GRK 2423 FRASCAL, and IGK 2495. Featuring LEGO® Serious Play, inspiring talks, and ideation sessions, it encouraged turning research into innovative, real-world start-ups.

In April 2025, Oskar Neumann spent a research month at the Mechanobiology Lab of the University of Cape Town, training researchers, presenting his work, and exchanging expertise - gaining insights into zebrafish models and innovative biomedical research in South Africa.

At the end of March, Clara Froidevaux (A03) and Shanice Heidenreich (C04) worked together to prepare mouse brain slices using a vibratome (see image). These slices will provide valuable insights into the metastasis of melanoma to the brain. Shanice Heidenreich, C04

The 2nd EBM Update Meeting, held on January 31, 2025, at the Max-Planck-Zentrum in Erlangen, provided a dynamic platform for progress updates on research areas and cross-sectional projects. Researchers shared insights, discussed advancements, and fostered interdisciplinary collaboration, ensuring future success in EBM initiatives.