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Brenton D. Hoffman

Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering
Biomedical Engineering

Research Interests


Focused on understanding, on a molecular level, how mechanical and chemical cues from the environment are detected, integrated, and manipulated by cells to dictate physiological and patho-physiological responses important in vascular biology.

Selected Grants


Force-sensitive Linker Proteins as Mediators of Cellular Mechanosensitivity

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2025 - 2029

University Training Program in Biomolecular and Tissue Engineering

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 1994 - 2027

Regulatory Functions of the Differentiated Epidermis

ResearchCollaborator · Awarded by National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases · 2022 - 2027

Duke Program of Training in Pulmonary ReSearch to Promote, Engage and Retain Academic Researchers (PROSPER)

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEPreceptor · Awarded by National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute · 2022 - 2026

Mechanosensitivity of Membrane-Actin Cortex Adhesion

ResearchCo Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2023 - 2026

Cell and Molecular Biology Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institute of General Medical Sciences · 2021 - 2026

The mechanical role of the glycocalyx in cancer cell adhesion

ResearchMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2020 - 2024

Mechanotransduction in Multicellular Systems

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2018 - 2023

Kinesin Force Production and Biomechanics of Division

ResearchCollaborating Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2021 - 2023

LUMICKS C-TRAP

EquipmentMajor User · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2022 - 2023

Molecular Determinants of Confined Migration

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by Vanderbilt University · 2019 - 2023

Analysis of mechanical induction of bioelectric activity in cells

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by Army Research Office · 2019 - 2022

EFRI CEE : Engineering Technologies to Determine Causal Relationships Between Chromatin Structure and Gene Regulation

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2018 - 2022

CAREER: Force-activated Protein Dynamics in Mechanobiology

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2015 - 2021

Visualization of mechanical stress in live cells

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Science Foundation · 2016 - 2019

Visualizing and Elucidating the Role of Force on Type IV Collagen in Development

ResearchCo-Principal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2016 - 2018

Elucidating the Role of Mechanosensitive Signaling in Mediating Cell-Biomaterial Interactions

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2016 - 2018

Visualizing and Elucidating Mechanisms of Mechanotransduction in Vascular Smooth Muscle Cells

ResearchPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by American Heart Association · 2016 - 2018

Microenvironments for Tendon Tissue Engineering

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2014 - 2017

The Role of Ezrin in Membrane and Actin Interactions

FellowshipPrincipal Investigator · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 2016 - 2017

Structural Biology and Biophysics Training Program

Inst. Training Prgm or CMEMentor · Awarded by National Institutes of Health · 1994 - 2015

External Relationships


  • Veterans Health Administration

This faculty member (or a member of their immediate family) has reported outside activities with the companies, institutions, or organizations listed above. This information is available to institutional leadership and, when appropriate, management plans are in place to address potential conflicts of interest.