Denis Wirtz is the vice provost for research and Theophilus Halley Smoot Professor of Engineering Science at

Johns Hopkins University Johns Hopkins University (Johns Hopkins, Hopkins, or JHU) is a private university, private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1876, Johns Hopkins is the oldest research university in the United States and in the western hem ...

. He is an expert in the

molecular A molecule is a group of two or more atoms held together by attractive forces known as chemical bonds; depending on context, the term may or may not include ions which satisfy this criterion. In quantum physics, organic chemistry, and bioche ...

and

biophysical Biophysics is an interdisciplinary science that applies approaches and methods traditionally used in physics to study biological phenomena. Biophysics covers all scales of biological organization, from molecular to organismic and populations. Bi ...

mechanisms of

cell motility Motility is the ability of an organism to move independently, using metabolic energy. Definitions Motility, the ability of an organism to move independently, using metabolic energy, can be contrasted with sessility, the state of organisms th ...

and

adhesion Adhesion is the tendency of dissimilar particles or surfaces to cling to one another ( cohesion refers to the tendency of similar or identical particles/surfaces to cling to one another). The forces that cause adhesion and cohesion can be ...

and nuclear dynamics in health and disease. Wirtz was the first to establish how a three-dimensional environment fundamentally affects the way cancer cells migrate, providing more biologically and medically relevant information than two-dimensional studies. He also pioneered the technique of particle-tracking

microrheology Microrheology is a technique used to measure the rheological properties of a medium, such as microviscosity, via the measurement of the trajectory of a flow tracer (a micrometre-sized particle). It is a new way of doing rheology, traditionally done ...

to probe the

rheological Rheology (; ) is the study of the flow of matter, primarily in a fluid (liquid or gas) state, but also as "soft solids" or solids under conditions in which they respond with plastic flow rather than deforming elastically in response to an applie ...

properties of complex fluids and living cells and tissues. He is a professor in the Departments of Chemical Engineering & Biomolecular Engineering and Materials Science & Engineering in the

Whiting School of Engineering The G.W.C. Whiting School of Engineering is the engineering college of the Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. History Engineering at Johns Hopkins was originally created in 1913 as an educational p ...

, and in the Departments of Oncology and Pathology in the

Johns Hopkins School of Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) is the medical school of Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1893, the School of Medicine shares a campus with the Johns Hopkins Hospi ...

. Wirtz was named vice provost for research in February 2014, charged with directing the university's $2.24 billion research enterprise, implementing institutional research compliance, expanding research development, and producing and managing cross-divisional research initiatives, such as the Johns Hopkins Catalyst and Discovery Awards program, the President's Frontier Award program, and the

Bloomberg Distinguished Professorships Bloomberg Distinguished Professorships were established as part of a $350 million investment by Michael Bloomberg, Hopkins Class of 1964, to Johns Hopkins University in 2013. Fifty faculty members, ten from Johns Hopkins University and forty rec ...

, which were established as part of a $350 million gift by

Michael Bloomberg Michael Rubens Bloomberg (born February 14, 1942) is an American businessman, politician, philanthropist, and author. He is the majority owner, co-founder and CEO of Bloomberg L.P. He was Mayor of New York City from 2002 to 2013, and was a ca ...

Biography

Wirtz was born in the

Ixelles ( French, ) or (Dutch, ), is one of the 19 municipalities of the Brussels-Capital Region, Belgium. Located to the south-east of Brussels' city centre, it is geographically bisected by the City of Brussels. It is also bordered by the muni ...

municipality of

Brussels Brussels (french: Bruxelles or ; nl, Brussel ), officially the Brussels-Capital Region (All text and all but one graphic show the English name as Brussels-Capital Region.) (french: link=no, Région de Bruxelles-Capitale; nl, link=no, Bruss ...

, Belgium. He is fluent in English and French, and became a U.S. citizen in 2007. Wirtz earned a physics engineering degree at the Ecole Polytechnique of the Université libre de Bruxelles in 1988. With a Hoover Fellowship from the

Belgian American Educational Foundation The Belgian American Educational Foundation (BAEF) is an educational charity. It supports the exchange of university students, scientists and scholars between the United States and Belgium. The foundation fosters the higher education of deserving ...

(BAEF), he earned an M.S. and

Ph.D A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common Academic degree, degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields ...

Chemical Engineering Chemical engineering is an engineering field which deals with the study of operation and design of chemical plants as well as methods of improving production. Chemical engineers develop economical commercial processes to convert raw materials int ...

from

Stanford University Stanford University, officially Leland Stanford Junior University, is a private research university in Stanford, California. The campus occupies , among the largest in the United States, and enrolls over 17,000 students. Stanford is consider ...

, working in

polymer physics Polymer physics is the field of physics that studies polymers, their fluctuations, mechanical properties, as well as the kinetics of reactions involving degradation and polymerisation of polymers and monomers respectively.P. Flory, ''Principles of ...

. He was then granted a fellowship through the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

’s Human Capital and Mobility program to conduct postdoctoral research at the Ecole Supérieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielles (ESPCI) in Paris, France. Wirtz joined the faculty of the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Johns Hopkins University in 1994 and was promoted to the rank of full professor in 2003. In 2009, he was selected to be the Theophilus Halley Smoot Professor of Engineering Science with secondary appointments in the departments of Materials Science and Engineering, Pathology and Oncology, where he collaborates with fellow researchers in the

Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins University is an NCI-Designated Comprehensive Cancer Center in Baltimore, MD. It was established in 1973 and received its NCI designation that same year as one of the first designated ca ...

. Upon his appointment as the Theophilius Halley Smoot Professor of Engineering Physics, Dr. Nicholas Jones, former dean of the

, stated

"Throughout his time at Johns Hopkins, Denis has distinguished himself as an outstanding scholar and teacher. Additionally, Denis’ role as a catalyst for interdisciplinary research and collaboration at the university has proven extremely effective, both in terms of the research he conducts and the support he has attracted over the years. I am confident that his current research into the physical basis for cell adhesion and de-adhesion will prove critical to our understanding of the metastasis of
cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...
and enable important breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the years to come."

In February 2014, Wirtz was named the vice provost for research at Johns Hopkins . In announcing the Wirtz's appointment, Provost Robert C. Lieberman stated,

"As is obvious to all who know him, Denis is an extremely productive and accomplished faculty member and a wonderful colleague. Those traits will serve both Denis and the university as he works with me to support important multidisciplinary research projects, including the strategic initiatives identified in the campaign, the Bloomberg Distinguished Professorships, and multidivisional proposals in response to RFAs (requests for applications)."

Vice provost

In his role as vice provost for research, Wirtz has recruited nearly two dozen faculty to join Johns Hopkins University as Bloomberg Distinguished Professors, managed the inaugural year of the Catalyst and Discovery Awards, and the first two President's Frontier Awards. He has expanded the university's research development efforts, creating a weekly digest of limited submission opportunities, a list of more than 175 funding opportunities for postdoctoral researchers, a list of more than 330 funding opportunities for early career faculty, and consolidated monthly digests of internal funding opportunities at the institution. He also consolidated multiple research administration offices into a central research administration team, Johns Hopkins University Research Administration. As director of the university's Signature Initiatives, he has overseen the launch of two new signature initiatives on

big data Though used sometimes loosely partly because of a lack of formal definition, the interpretation that seems to best describe Big data is the one associated with large body of information that we could not comprehend when used only in smaller am ...

, led by

Alex Szalay Alex Szalay is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor of physics and astronomy and computer science at the Johns Hopkins University School of Arts and Sciences and Whiting School of Engineering.Brooks, Kell"Johns Hopkins names four new Bloomberg D ...

, and space studies, Space@Hopkins, led by

Charles L. Bennett Charles L. Bennett (born November 1956) is an American observational astrophysicist. He is a Bloomberg Distinguished Professor, the Alumni Centennial Professor of Physics and Astronomy and a Gilman Scholar at Johns Hopkins University. He is t ...

. These are in addition to Kathryn Edin’s 21st Century Cities Initiative,

Barbara Landau Dr. Barbara Landau is the Dick and Lydia Todd Professor in the Department of Cognitive Science at Johns Hopkins University. Landau specializes in language learning, spatial representation and relationships between these foundational systems of hu ...

’s Science of Learning Institute, Scott Zeger’s Individualized Health Initiative, and David Peters’ Global Health Signature Initiative. Wirtz also directs the Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center (PSOC), which is part of a network of twelve centers in the United States funded by the

National Institutes of Health The National Institutes of Health, commonly referred to as NIH (with each letter pronounced individually), is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in the late ...

’s

National Cancer Institute The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...

to link the

physical sciences Physical science is a branch of natural science that studies non-living systems, in contrast to life science. It in turn has many branches, each referred to as a "physical science", together called the "physical sciences". Definition Phy ...

with the study of cancer. When the center was established with a $14.8M grant in 2009, Wirtz stated,

"For too long, not enough room has been made for nonconventional and nonbiological concepts borrowed from modern physics and engineering to tackle this disease. It is time to bring to the table ideas grounded in chemical and biomolecular engineering principles to develop new therapies and diagnostic tools. [The
National Cancer Institute The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...
has] given us major funding for a center to study all the steps in the metastatic cascade."

The PSOC is part of the Johns Hopkins Institute for NanoBioTechnology (INBT), which Wirtz co-founded and acts as associate director. INBT was launched in 2006 to "promote multidisciplinary research at the interface of

nanotechnology Nanotechnology, also shortened to nanotech, is the use of matter on an atomic, molecular, and supramolecular scale for industrial purposes. The earliest, widespread description of nanotechnology referred to the particular technological goal o ...

and

medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

." With more than 250 affiliated faculty members from the Johns Hopkins schools of Engineering, Arts and Sciences,

Medicine Medicine is the science and practice of caring for a patient, managing the diagnosis, prognosis, prevention, treatment, palliation of their injury or disease, and promoting their health. Medicine encompasses a variety of health care pract ...

, and

Public Health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the det ...

and scientists from the

Applied Physics Laboratory The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (Applied Physics Laboratory, or APL) is a not-for-profit University Affiliated Research Center, university-affiliated research center (UARC) in Howard County, Maryland. It is affiliated w ...

, the institute is home to several center grants and numerous education, training, and outreach programs. INBT counts

Becton Dickinson Becton, Dickinson and Company, also known as BD, is an American multinational medical technology company that manufactures and sells medical devices, instrument systems, and reagents. BD also provides consulting and analytics services in certai ...

MedImmune MedImmune, LLC was a wholly owned subsidiary of AstraZeneca before February 14, 2019, when it was announced that the MedImmune name and branding would be discontinued in favor of AstraZeneca. MedImmune was founded in 1988 as Molecular Vaccines, ...

Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation is an American multinational aerospace and defense technology company. With 90,000 employees and an annual revenue in excess of $30 billion, it is one of the world's largest weapons manufacturers and military techn ...

, Secant Medical, and

Under Armour Under Armour, Inc. is an American sports equipment company that manufactures footwear, sports and casual apparel. Under Armour's global headquarters are located in Baltimore, Maryland, with additional offices located in Amsterdam (European hea ...

among its corporate partners, and Wirtz has previously served as a Nikon Partner in Science since 2008. Wirtz is the PI of a

National Science Foundation The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent agency of the United States government that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National I ...

Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site in the Nanotechnology for Biology and Bioengineering program. Wirtz also founded the Johns Hopkins Center for Digital Pathology that brings together

pathologists A list of people notable in the field of pathology. A * John Abercrombie, Scottish physician, neuropathologist and philosopher. * Maude Abbott (1869–1940), Canadian pathologist, one of the earliest women graduated in medicine, expert in co ...

, surgeons,

oncologists Oncology is a branch of medicine that deals with the study, treatment, diagnosis and prevention of cancer. A medical professional who practices oncology is an ''oncologist''. The name's etymological origin is the Greek word ὄγκος (''ó ...

, and engineers to develop new single-cell technology for improved

diagnostic Diagnosis is the identification of the nature and cause of a certain phenomenon. Diagnosis is used in many different disciplines, with variations in the use of logic, analytics, and experience, to determine " cause and effect". In systems engine ...

prognostic Prognosis (Greek: πρόγνωσις "fore-knowing, foreseeing") is a medical term for predicting the likely or expected development of a disease, including whether the signs and symptoms will improve or worsen (and how quickly) or remain stable ...

, therapeutic approaches for

human diseases Humans (''Homo sapiens'') are the most abundant and widespread species of primate, characterized by bipedalism and exceptional cognitive skills due to a large and complex brain. This has enabled the development of advanced tools, culture, an ...

, including

cancer Cancer is a group of diseases involving abnormal cell growth with the potential to invade or spread to other parts of the body. These contrast with benign tumors, which do not spread. Possible signs and symptoms include a lump, abnormal b ...

, Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and frailty in aging. He co-directs the Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center, another

-funded entity. From 2005 to 2012, he also directed a

Howard Hughes Medical Institute The Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) is an American non-profit medical research organization based in Chevy Chase, Maryland. It was founded in 1953 by Howard Hughes, an American business magnate, investor, record-setting pilot, engineer, fil ...

(HHMI) funded interdisciplinary graduate research training program in

for biology and

. The program aimed to produce researchers able to create new particles and materials to be used in the detection, treatment, prevention, and cure of

human disease A disease is a particular abnormal condition that negatively affects the structure or function of all or part of an organism, and that is not immediately due to any external injury. Diseases are often known to be medical conditions that a ...

. It recruited students from

biochemistry Biochemistry or biological chemistry is the study of chemical processes within and relating to living organisms. A sub-discipline of both chemistry and biology, biochemistry may be divided into three fields: structural biology, enzymology and ...

, chemistry, physics, biology, and

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

, while making a special effort to include minorities under-represented in science.

Awards and distinctions

Wirtz was elected fellow of the

American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering The American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) is a non-profit organization founded in 1991, and headquartered in Washington. It represents 50,000 medical and biomedical engineers, and academic institutions, private industry, ...

in 2006 for "major contributions in molecular cell mechanics and the development of particle tracking methods for cell and molecular biology." In 2009, he was elected fellow of the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is an American international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific respons ...

in 2009 "for contributions to cell micromechanics and cell adhesion and for the development and application of particle tracking methods to probe the micromechanical properties of living cells in normal conditions and disease state." Wirtz was elected fellow of the

American Physical Society The American Physical Society (APS) is a not-for-profit membership organization of professionals in physics and related disciplines, comprising nearly fifty divisions, sections, and other units. Its mission is the advancement and diffusion of k ...

in 2010 for "his seminal contributions to the understanding of basic cellular functions through the development and application of novel biophysical methods grounded in statistical mechanics and polymer physics." In 2011, he was elected member of the

(BAEF). Wirtz is also a member of the

American Institute of Chemical Engineers The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is a professional organization for chemical engineers. AIChE was actually established in 1908 to distinguish chemical engineers as a profession independent of chemists and mechanical engineer ...

Biophysical Society, American Society for Microbiology,

American Society for Cell Biology The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) is a professional society that was founded in 1960.Society of Rheology The Society of Rheology is an American professional society formed in December, 1929 to represent scientists and technologists working in the field of rheology, the science of the deformation and flow of matter. Current membership is of the order ...

. Wirtz is a 1996 recipient of the

CAREER Award The National Science Foundation CAREER awards, presented by the National Science Foundation (NSF), are in support of junior faculty who exemplify the role of teacher-scholars through research and education, and the integration of these endeavors i ...

for: “A Research and Teaching Program in Complex Fluids Dynamics.”. In 1997, he received the

Whitaker Foundation The Whitaker Foundation was based in Arlington, Virginia and was an organization that primarily supported biomedical engineering education and research, but also supported other forms of medical research. It was founded and funded by U. A. Whitake ...

’s Biomedical Engineering Award. In collaboration with Benjamin Shapiro, Elisabeth Smela and Pamela Ann Abshire, Wirtz was awarded the 2004 Physical Science Invention of the Year Award by the

University of Maryland The University of Maryland, College Park (University of Maryland, UMD, or simply Maryland) is a public land-grant research university in College Park, Maryland. Founded in 1856, UMD is the flagship institution of the University System of M ...

Office of Technology Commercialization. The team invented a Cell Sensor Based Pathogen Detection that will enable “selective pathogran detection by exploiting the signalizing machinery of living cells. Since 2008, he has been the Editor-in-Chief of ''Cell Health and the Cytoskeleton''. He is on the Editorial Boards of ''

Scientific Reports ''Scientific Reports'' is a peer-reviewed open-access scientific mega journal published by Nature Portfolio, covering all areas of the natural sciences. The journal was established in 2011. The journal states that their aim is to assess solely th ...

'', ''Cell Adhesion & Migration'', ''World Journal of Biological Chemistry'', and ''TECHNOLOGY''. Wirtz formerly served on the editorial boards of ''

Physical Biology ''Physical Biology'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published by IOP Publishing covering a range of fields that bridge the biological and physical sciences, including biophysics, systems biology, population dynamics, etc. The editor-in ...

'', ''Journal of the Royal Society Interface Focus'', ''

Biophysical Journal The ''Biophysical Journal'' is a biweekly peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Cell Press on behalf of the Biophysical Society. The journal was established in 1960 and covers all aspects of biophysics. The journal occasionally publishes s ...

'', ''Nanomedicine: Nanotechnology, Biology and Medicine'', as an ad hoc editor for the ''

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America'' (often abbreviated ''PNAS'' or ''PNAS USA'') is a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. It is the official journal of the National Academy of Scien ...

'', as the guest editor of a Special Issue of ''

'' on physical oncology, and as the editor of the Cell Biophysics section of ''Comprehensive Biophysics''. Wirtz also served as an expert advisor to the study panel of the international Assessment of Physical sciences and Engineering advances in Life sciences and Oncology (APHELION), which was commissioned by the

and

in order to “determine the status and trends of applying physical sciences and engineering principles to oncology research and development in leading laboratories and organizations in Europe via an on-site peer review process.” Recent plenary talks include:

ASME The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) is an American professional association that, in its own words, "promotes the art, science, and practice of multidisciplinary engineering and allied sciences around the globe" via "continuing ...

2015 4th Global Congress on NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology; 2015 Cell Mechanics, Morphogenesis and Pattern Formation Workshop,

Isaac Newton Institute The Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences is an international research institute for mathematics and its many applications at the University of Cambridge. It is named after one of the university's most illustrious figures, the mathema ...

at the

University of Cambridge , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

; 2015 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit; 2015

American Society for Cell Biology The American Society for Cell Biology (ASCB) is a professional society that was founded in 1960.Johns Hopkins School of Medicine The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (JHUSOM) is the medical school of Johns Hopkins University, a private research university in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1893, the School of Medicine shares a campus with the Johns Hopkins Hospi ...

; and 2014 IUTAM Symposium on Mechanics of Soft Active Materials; 2013 The Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology (CNC) annual conference in Coimbra, Portugal; distinguished lecturer at the Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center,

University of Kentucky The University of Kentucky (UK, UKY, or U of K) is a Public University, public Land-grant University, land-grant research university in Lexington, Kentucky. Founded in 1865 by John Bryan Bowman as the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Kentu ...

. In 2019, we was elected as a foreign member of the Belgian Royal Academy of Medicine (ARMB).

Research

Bridging the fields of chemical engineering, oncology, pathology, biophysics, and materials science, Wirtz's research focuses on the biophysical properties of healthy and diseased cells, including interactions between adjacent cells and the role of

cellular architecture A cellular architecture is a type of computer architecture prominent in parallel computing. Cellular architectures are relatively new, with IBM's Cell microprocessor being the first one to reach the market. Cellular architecture takes mul ...

on nuclear shape and

gene expression Gene expression is the process by which information from a gene is used in the synthesis of a functional gene product that enables it to produce end products, protein or non-coding RNA, and ultimately affect a phenotype, as the final effect. The ...

. His research interests include cell biophysics, aging, tumor microenvironment, digital pathology, the actin cap, single molecule manipulation, intracellular particle trafficking, instrument development, tissue engineering, and nanotechnology in biology and medicine. He has made important contributions to molecular and biophysical mechanisms of

and

and nuclear dynamics in health and disease, and he pioneered the method of particle-tracking

to probe the rheological properties of

complex fluid Complex fluids are mixtures that have a coexistence between two Phase (matter) , phases: solid–liquid (Suspension (chemistry) , suspensions or solutions of macromolecules such as polymers), solid–gas (Granular material, granular), liquid–gas ...

s and living cells and tissues. Wirtz currently holds several

patent A patent is a type of intellectual property that gives its owner the legal right to exclude others from making, using, or selling an invention for a limited period of time in exchange for publishing an enabling disclosure of the invention."A p ...

s on his work. ;2D vs. 3D cell migration Wirtz's lab identified fundamental differences between conventional 2D migration and more physiologically relevant 3D migration in

cancer cell Cancer cells are cells that divide continually, forming solid tumors or flooding the blood with abnormal cells. Cell division is a normal process used by the body for growth and repair. A parent cell divides to form two daughter cells, and these d ...

s, creating new understanding of the

tumor microenvironment The tumor microenvironment (TME) is the environment around a tumor, including the surrounding blood vessels, immune cells, fibroblasts, signaling molecules and the extracellular matrix (ECM). The tumor and the surrounding microenvironment are cl ...

and

metastasis Metastasis is a pathogenic agent's spread from an initial or primary site to a different or secondary site within the host's body; the term is typically used when referring to metastasis by a cancerous tumor. The newly pathological sites, then, ...

. In particular, they found that the

nucleus Nucleus ( : nuclei) is a Latin word for the seed inside a fruit. It most often refers to: *Atomic nucleus, the very dense central region of an atom *Cell nucleus, a central organelle of a eukaryotic cell, containing most of the cell's DNA Nucle ...

, focal adhesion molecules, the

lamina Lamina may refer to: Science and technology * Planar lamina, a two-dimensional planar closed surface with mass and density, in mathematics * Laminar flow, (or streamline flow) occurs when a fluid flows in parallel layers, with no disruption betwee ...

LINC complex The LINC complex (Linker of Nucleoskeleton and Cytoskeleton) is a protein complex associated with both inner and outer membranes of the nucleus. It is composed of SUN-domain proteins and KASH-domain proteins. The SUN-domain proteins are associated ...

es, and

matrix metalloproteinase Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), also known as matrix metallopeptidases or matrixins, are metalloproteinases that are calcium-dependent zinc-containing endopeptidases; other family members are adamalysins, serralysins, and astacins. The MMPs b ...

(MMPs) play a central role in 3D migration (migration in 3D

collagen Collagen () is the main structural protein in the extracellular matrix found in the body's various connective tissues. As the main component of connective tissue, it is the most abundant protein in mammals, making up from 25% to 35% of the whole ...

-rich matrices) that is not predicted or extrapolated from the better known 2D case (use of a

Petri dish A Petri dish (alternatively known as a Petri plate or cell-culture dish) is a shallow transparent lidded dish that biologists use to hold growth medium in which cells can be cultured,R. C. Dubey (2014): ''A Textbook Of Biotechnology For Class- ...

). ''Supporting Publications:'' *2009, B. Wildt, D. Wirtz, and P.C. Searson, ''Programmed sub-cellular release for studying the dynamics of cell detachment'', in: ''

Nature Methods ''Nature Methods'' is a monthly peer-reviewed scientific journal covering new scientific techniques. It was established in 2004 and is published by Springer Nature under the Nature Portfolio. Like other ''Nature'' journals, there is no external edi ...

''. Vol. 6; 211–213. *2010, S.I. Fraley, Y. Feng, D.H. Kim, A. Celedon, G.D. Longmore, and D. Wirtz, ''The distinctive role of focal adhesion proteins in three-dimensional cell motility'', in: ''

Nature Cell Biology ''Nature Cell Biology'' is a monthly peer review, peer-reviewed scientific journal published by Nature Portfolio. It was established in 1999. The founding editor was Annette Thomas. The current editor-in-chief is Christina Kary. According to the ' ...

''. Vol. 12; 598–604. *2011, D. Wirtz, K. Konstantopoulos, P.C. Searson, ''The physics of

: the role of physical interactions and mechanical forces in metastasis'', in: ''

Nature Reviews Cancer ''Nature Reviews Cancer'' is a monthly review journal covering the field of oncology. It was established in 2001. The editor-in-chief is Anna Dart. Abstracting and indexing The journal is abstracted and indexed in: *PubMed * Science Citation In ...

''. Vol. 11; 512–522. *2012, S.I. Fraley, Y. Feng, A. Giri, G.D. Longmore, and D Wirtz, ''Dimensional and temporal controls of three-dimensional cell migration by Zyxin and binding partners'', in: ''

Nature Communications ''Nature Communications'' is a peer-reviewed, open access, scientific journal published by Nature Portfolio since 2010. It is a multidisciplinary journal and it covers the natural sciences, including physics, chemistry, earth sciences, medicine, ...

''. Vol. 3; 719. *2013, K. Konstantopoulos, P.-H. Wu, and D. Wirtz, ''Dimensional control of

migration'', in: ''

''. Vol. 104, nº 2; 279–280. *2014, D.M. Gilkes, L. Xiang, S.J. Lee, M.E. Hubbi, P. Chaturvedi, D. Wirtz, and G.L. Semenza, ''Hypoxia-inducible factors mediate coordinated RhoA-ROCK1 expression and signaling in breast cancer cells'', in: ''

PNAS ''Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America'' (often abbreviated ''PNAS'' or ''PNAS USA'') is a peer-reviewed multidisciplinary scientific journal. It is the official journal of the National Academy of Scien ...

''. Vol. 111; E384-E393. *2014, P.H. Wu, A. Giri, S.X. Sun, D. Wirtz, ''Three-dimensional cell migration does not follow a random walk'', in: ''

''. Vol. 111, nº 11; 3949–3954. *2015, P.-H. Wu, A. Giri, and D. Wirtz, ''Statistical analysis of cell migration in 3D using the anisotropic persistent random walk model'', in: ''

Nature Protocols ''Nature Protocols'', published by the Nature Publishing Group, is an on-line scientific journal publishing methods in a recipe-style format. The journal was launched in June 2006 and the content includes both classical methods and cutting-edge te ...

''. Vol. 10; 517–527. ;Cell and nuclear mechanics Wirtz developed novel tools and concepts to study the role of

and nuclear connections to the

cytoskeleton The cytoskeleton is a complex, dynamic network of interlinking protein filaments present in the cytoplasm of all cells, including those of bacteria and archaea. In eukaryotes, it extends from the cell nucleus to the cell membrane and is compos ...

and key cell functions, including 2D and 3D

cell migration Cell migration is a central process in the development and maintenance of multicellular organisms. Tissue formation during embryonic development, wound healing and immune responses all require the orchestrated movement of cells in particular dire ...

and adhesion,

mechanosensation Mechanosensation is the transduction of mechanical stimuli into neural signals. Mechanosensation provides the basis for the senses of light touch, hearing, proprioception, and pain. Mechanoreceptors found in the skin, called cutaneous mechanorecept ...

, and mechanotransduction. In particular, he identified

es and the so-called perinuclear

actin Actin is a family of globular multi-functional proteins that form microfilaments in the cytoskeleton, and the thin filaments in muscle fibrils. It is found in essentially all eukaryotic cells, where it may be present at a concentration of over ...

cap as key mediators of physical signaling between the cytoplasm and the nuclear interior. More recently, he discovered that the

nuclear lamina The nuclear lamina is a dense (~30 to 100 nm thick) fibrillar network inside the nucleus of eukaryote cells. It is composed of intermediate filaments and membrane associated proteins. Besides providing mechanical support, the nuclear lamina ...

of adherent cells is polarized through the actin cap, which in turn polarizes hyper-acetylated forms of

histone In biology, histones are highly basic proteins abundant in lysine and arginine residues that are found in eukaryotic cell nuclei. They act as spools around which DNA winds to create structural units called nucleosomes. Nucleosomes in turn are wr ...

s in the

. ''Supporting Publications:'' *2009, S.B. Khatau, C.M. Hale, P.J. Stewart-Hutchison, M.S. Patel, C.L. Stewart, P.C. Searson, D. Hodzic, and D. Wirtz, ''A perinuclear

cap regulates nuclear shape'', in: ''

''. Vol. 107; 19017–19022. *2013, D.H. Kim, A.B. Chambliss, and D. Wirtz, ''The multi-faceted role of the actin cap in cellular mechanosensation and mechanotransduction'', in: '' Soft Matter''. Vol. 9; 5516–5523. *2013, A.B. Chambliss, S.B. Khatau, P.-H. Wu, N. Erdenberger, D.K. Robinson, D. Hodzic, G.D. Longmore, and D. Wirtz, ''The LINC-anchored

cap connects the extracellular milieu to the nucleus for ultrafast mechanotransduction'', in: ''

''. Vol. 3; 1087–1095. *2013, S.B. Khatau, R.J. Bloom, S. Bajpai, D. Razafsky, S. Zang, A. Giri, P.-H. Wu, J. Marchand, A. Celedon, C.M. Hale, S.X. Sun, D. Hodzic, and D. Wirtz, ''The distinct roles of the nucleus and nucleus-cytoskeleton connections in three-dimensional cell migration'', in: ''

''. Vol. 2; 488–499. *2014, D.H. Kim, S. Cho, and D. Wirtz, ''Tight coupling between nucleus and cell migration through the perinuclear

cap'', in: ''

Journal of Cell Science The ''Journal of Cell Science'' (formerly the ''Quarterly Journal of Microscopical Science'') is a peer-reviewed scientific journal in the field of cell biology. The journal is published by The Company of Biologists. The journal is partnered with P ...

''. Vol. 127; 2528–2541. *2014, D. Razafsky, D. Wirtz, and D. Hodzic, ''Nuclear envelope in nuclear positioning and cell migration'', in: ''

Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology ''Advances in Experimental Medicine and Biology'' is a peer-reviewed book series. It covers the broad fields of experimental medicine and biology. The series was established in 1967 and is published by Springer Nature. The editors-in-chief are ...

''. Vol. 773; 471–490. *2015, D.H. Kim and D. Wirtz, ''Cytoskeletal tension induces the 3D polarized architecture of the

'', in: ''

Biomaterials A biomaterial is a substance that has been engineered to interact with biological systems for a medical purpose, either a therapeutic (treat, augment, repair, or replace a tissue function of the body) or a diagnostic one. As a science, biomateria ...

''. Vol. 48; 161–172. ;Single-molecule adhesion nanomechanics Using single-molecule force

spectroscopy Spectroscopy is the field of study that measures and interprets the electromagnetic spectra that result from the interaction between electromagnetic radiation and matter as a function of the wavelength or frequency of the radiation. Matter wa ...

, his lab showed how intracellular molecules such as a-catenin and

b-catenin Catenin beta-1, also known as beta-catenin (β-catenin), is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''CTNNB1'' gene. Beta-catenin is a dual function protein, involved in regulation and coordination of cell–cell adhesion and gene transcriptio ...

modulate

cell-cell adhesion Cell adhesion is the process by which cells interact and attach to neighbouring cells through specialised molecules of the cell surface. This process can occur either through direct contact between cell surfaces such as cell junctions or indire ...

mediated by

E-cadherin Cadherin-1 or Epithelial cadherin (E-cadherin), (not to be confused with the APC/C activator protein CDH1) is a protein that in humans is encoded by the ''CDH1'' gene. Mutations are correlated with gastric, breast, colorectal, thyroid, and ovarian ...

. ''Supporting Publications:'' *2008, S. Bajpai, J. Correia, Y. Feng, J. Figueiredo, S.X. Sun, G.D. Longmore, G. Suriano, and D. Wirtz, ''a-catenin mediates initial E-cadherin-dependent cell-cell recognition and subsequent bond strengthening'', in: ''

''. Vol. 105; 18331–18336. *2009, S. Bajpai, Y. Feng, R. Krishnamurthy, G.D. Longmore, and D. Wirtz, ''Loss of a-catenin decreases the strength of single E-cadherin bonds between human cancer cells'', in: ''

Journal of Biological Chemistry The ''Journal of Biological Chemistry'' (''JBC'') is a weekly peer-reviewed scientific journal that was established in 1905., jbc.org Since 1925, it is published by the American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. It covers research in ...

''. Vol. 284; 18252–18259. *2011, P.S. Raman, C.S. Alves, D. Wirtz, K. Konstantopoulos, ''Single molecule binding of CD44 to fibrin versus P-selectin predicts their distinct shear-dependent interactions in cancer'', in: ''

''. Vol. 124; 1904–1910. *2013, S. Bajpai, Y. Feng, D. Wirtz, and G.D. Longmore, ''a-catenin serves as a clutch between low and high intercellular E-cadherin

bond strength In chemistry, bond energy (''BE''), also called the mean bond enthalpy or average bond enthalpy is the measure of bond strength in a chemical bond. IUPAC defines bond energy as the average value of the gas-phase bond-dissociation energy (usually a ...

s'', in: ''

''. Vol. 105; 2289–2300.

Publications

Wirtz has published nearly 200 peer-reviewed articles published in ''Science, Nature, Nature Cell Biology, Nature Methods, Nature Reviews Cancer, Nature Materials, Nature Protocols, PNAS, Nature Communications'', and ''Journal of Cell Biology.'' He has an h-index of 83. ;Highly cited articlesGoogle Schola
"Author: Denis Wirtz"
''

Google Scholar Google Scholar is a freely accessible web search engine that indexes the full text or metadata of scholarly literature across an array of publishing formats and disciplines. Released in beta in November 2004, the Google Scholar index includes p ...

'', 25 March 2016. Retrieved on 25 March 2016. *2011, ''The physics of cancer: the role of physical interactions and mechanical forces in metastasis'', in: ''

''. Vol. 11, nº 7; 512–522. *2010, ''A distinctive role for focal adhesion proteins in three-dimensional cell motility'', in: ''

''. Vol. 12, nº 6; 598–604. *2009, ''Particle-tracking microrheology of living cells: principles and applications'', in: ''

Annual Review of Biophysics The ''Annual Review of Biophysics'' is a peer-reviewed scientific journal published annually by Annual Reviews. It covers all aspects of biophysics with solicited review articles. Ken A. Dill has been its editor since 2013. According to the ''Jour ...

''. Vol 38; 301–326. *2003, ''Efficient active transport of gene nanocarriers to the cell nucleus'', in: ''

''. Vol. 100, nº 7; 3878–3882. *2002, ''Micromechanical mapping of live cells by multiple-particle-tracking microrheology'', in: ''

''. Vol. 83, nº 6; 3162–3176. *2000, ''Mechanics of living cells measured by laser tracking microrheology'', in: ''

''. Vol. 78, nº 4; 1736–1747. *1998, ''Reversible hydrogels from self-assembling artificial proteins'', in: ''

Science Science is a systematic endeavor that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe. Science may be as old as the human species, and some of the earliest archeological evidence for ...

''. Vol. 281, nº 5375; 389–392. * 1997, ''Particle tracking microrheology of complex fluids'', in: ''

Physical Review Letters ''Physical Review Letters'' (''PRL''), established in 1958, is a peer-reviewed, scientific journal that is published 52 times per year by the American Physical Society. As also confirmed by various measurement standards, which include the ''Journa ...

''. Vol. 79, nº 17; 3282.

References

External links

Pathology and Oncology

External links

Vice Provost for Research Webpage

Faculty Webpage

Wirtz Group Website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wirtz, Denis Living people 1965 births Scientists from Brussels Johns Hopkins University faculty Stanford University alumni Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellows of the American Physical Society Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering 20th-century Belgian educators 21st-century Belgian educators

Biography

Vice provost

Awards and distinctions

Research

Publications

See also

References

External links

External links