Meet The Jury Dagmar Iber on Mechanics across scales: how physical forces sculpt an optimal bronchial tree

Arenberg Doctoral School is proud to invite you to Meet The Jury!

When internationally renowned experts visit KU Leuven as a member of a PhD Examination Committee, we like to seize this opportunity to give this expert a forum to a large audience. All members of Science, Engineering & Technology are most welcome to the Meet The Jury Lectures.

Dr. Dagmar Iber (ETH Zürich, Switzerland) will give a lecture on “Mechanics across scales: how physical forces sculpt an optimal bronchial tree”.

Physical forces are key determinants of biological form, complementing chemical patterning mechanisms across development and disease. Advances in 3D imaging now allow us to test mechanical hypotheses quantitatively, but this requires dedicated algorithms. We developed SkelePlex to segment and skeletonise branched tissue architectures such as the bronchial tree, and SimuCell3D and OptiCell3D to infer biophysical parameters and simulate epithelial mechanics at cellular resolution from 3D microscopy images. Applied to the lung, SkelePlex reveals how tissue mechanics and fluid–structure interactions sculpt branch dimensions, wall thickness, and angles, together accounting for a globally optimal fractal architecture conserved across species of vastly different sizes. Using SimuCell3D and OptiCell3D, we further dissect the underlying cell biophysics, showing how epithelial cell shape and thus wall thickness are determined. Together, these results show how mechanics governs epithelial form across scales — from single cells to whole organs — both during normal development and disease.

Following the lecture, there will be opportunity for young researchers to interact with her.

• Venue: Heuts auditorium (LAND 00.215), Landbouwinstituut, Kasteelpark Arenberg 20, 3001 Heverlee
• Date: 28 September 2026 – 10:30-12:00
• Dr. Dagmar Iber is visiting KU Leuven on the occasion of the PhD defence of Wim Thiels