12th CISM–AIMETA Advanced Course on "Modeling the Biomechanics of Soft Tissues: Experimental Methods, Theoretical Bases and Computational Challenges"

Involving the latest advances and ongoing challenges in soft tissue biomechanics, the course aims to foster awareness of the complex interconnections between experimental insights, theoretical formulations, and computational strategies necessary for developing robust and predictive and guide future biomedical applications. The course is primarily designed for graduate students and young researchers, who seek a rigorous and comprehensive introduction to soft tissue biomechanics. Participants will be provided with conceptual foundations and methodological tools, enabling them to critically approach the study of biological tissues at the interface of mechanics, physiology, and medicine. Lectures will deliver a solid introduction to the field and a critical outlook on its open questions, emphasizing the role of biomechanics and biomedical engineering. The following topics are covered: Experimental methods for soft tissues. A review of mechanical characterization protocols, including uniaxial and biaxial testing, indentation, and other modern techniques. The module discusses the use of optical mapping for real-time tracking of tissue deformation, and the application of surface electrodes to probe the interplay between electrical signals and mechanical responses in excitable biological media. Active soft tissue biomechanics. An introduction to models describing the coupled electromechanical behavior of living tissues, from the foundational Hodgkin–Huxley formalism to more recent developments involving synchronization phenomena, spatiotemporal complexity, and wave propagation in heterogeneous substrates. Special aspects covered are the influence of temperature on electrophysiological dynamics, the concept of active stress and active strain, and nonlocal descriptions of diffusion-driven activity. Continuum micromechanics and multiscale approaches. Role of tissue microstructure in shaping macroscopic mechanical function. Concepts such as anisotropy, heterogeneity, and nonlinear response are examined in the context of soft biological systems. The discussion extends to multiscale frameworks that bridge molecular interactions, fiber networks, and continuum-level constitutive behavior, as well as multiphysics models that integrate chemical, electrical, and mechanical domains. Computational biomechanics. An overview of advanced numerical methods for simulating soft tissue mechanics, with emphasis on inverse problems, data assimilation, and strategies for parameter identification. Recent approaches to uncertainty quantification and sensitivity analysis are presented, highlighting how computational models can be both predictive and adaptable to experimental evidence. Case studies in biomechanics. Selected examples illustrate the application of these methodologies to real biological problems: cardiovascular hemodynamics and the mechanics of pulsatile blood flow; gastrointestinal motility and its coordination through neuromechanical feedback; lung poromechanics and ventilation–perfusion interactions; skin mechanics under complex loading conditions; and fiber-distributed models of ocular tissues that capture the relevance of collagen architecture.