View source for Denis Wirtz

{{Short description|Belgian molecular biologist (born 1965)}}
{{autobiography|date=July 2016}}
{{Infobox scientist
|name              = Denis Wirtz
|birth_name        = Denis Wirtz
|image             = DenisWirtz.jpg
|image_size        = 200px
|caption           =
|birth_date        = {{Birth date and age|mf=y|1965|2|20}}
|birth_place       = [[Brussels]], Belgium
|nationality       = American <br /> Belgian
|field             = [[Chemical engineering]], [[biomolecular engineering]], [[pathology]], [[oncology]], [[materials science]]
|workplaces        = [[Johns Hopkins University]]
|alma_mater        = [[Université libre de Bruxelles]] (B.S.)<br />[[Stanford University]](M.S., Ph.D.)
|doctoral_advisor  = [[Gerald G. Fuller]](Ph.D.)<br />[[Pierre-Gilles de Gennes]](Postdoctoral Fellowship)
|doctoral_students =
|known_for         = 3D Cell Motility <br /> [[Digital Pathology]] <br /> [[Metastasis|Cancer Metastasis]] <br /> Nuclear dynamics <br /> [[Tumor Microenvironment]] <br /> Particle-tracking [[Microrheology]]
|awards            = Fellow of the [[American Physical Society]] <br /> Fellow of the [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]] ([[AAAS Fellow]]) <br /> Fellow of the [[American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering]] <br /> [[National Science Foundation CAREER Awards|National Science Foundation CAREER Award]] <br /> Biomedical Engineering Foundation Award, [[Whitaker Foundation]] <br /> Hoover Fellow, [[Belgian American Educational Foundation]] <br /> Fellow of the [[Academies of Belgium|Belgian Royal Academy of Medicine (ARMB)]]
|website           = {{url|https://wirtzlab.johnshopkins.edu/}}
|spouse            =
}}
'''Denis Wirtz''' is the vice provost for research and Theophilus Halley Smoot Professor of Engineering Science at [[Johns Hopkins University]]. He is an expert in the [[Molecular mechanics|molecular]] and [[Biophysics|biophysical]] mechanisms of [[cell migration|cell motility]] and [[Cell adhesion|adhesion]] and nuclear dynamics in health and disease.<ref>Keiger, Dale.[http://hub.jhu.edu/magazine/2013/winter/cancer-in-3d “Moving cancer research out of the Petri dish and into the third dimension”] ''Johns Hopkins Magazine'', Baltimore, 1 January 2013. Retrieved on 28 March 2016.</ref>
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.<ref>{{cite web|title= Reddit Cancer AMA|date= 22 February 2016|url= https://www.reddit.com/r/science/comments/470lhl/science_ama_series_im_denis_wirtz_vice_provost/|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> He also pioneered the technique of particle-tracking [[microrheology]] to probe the [[rheological]] 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]], and in the Departments of Oncology and Pathology in the [[Johns Hopkins School of Medicine]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Denis Wirtz Profile Page|url=http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/bios/wirtz|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref>
Wirtz was named vice provost for research in February 2014, charged with directing the university's $2.24 billion research enterprise,<ref>O’Shea, Dennis [http://hub.jhu.edu/2015/12/09/research-funding-leader-nsf-survey “Johns Hopkins leads U.S. in research spending for 36th year in a row”], ''JHU Hub'', Baltimore, 9 December 2015. Retrieved on 27 March 2016.</ref><ref>[[National Science Foundation]] [http://ncsesdata.nsf.gov/herd/2014/html/HERD2014_DST_17.html “Higher Education Research and Development Survey: Higher education R&D expenditures, ranked by FY 2014 R&D expenditures”] ''[[National Science Foundation]]'', Arlington, 31 July 2015. Retrieved on 25 March 2016.</ref> implementing institutional research compliance, expanding research development,<ref>{{cite web|title= Denis Wirtz Vice Provost for Research|url= http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/bios/wirtz}}</ref> and producing and managing cross-divisional research initiatives, such as the Johns Hopkins Catalyst and Discovery Awards program,<ref>Hub Staff [http://hub.jhu.edu/at-work/2015/09/04/catalyst-discovery-celebration “Johns Hopkins scholars, leaders celebrate faculty research awards”], ''JHU Hub'', Baltimore, 4 September 2015. Retrieved on 25 March 2016.</ref><ref>Sneiderman, Phil [http://hub.jhu.edu/2015/01/27/catalyst-discovery-awards-faculty-research “New Johns Hopkins awards to provide $15 million to support faculty-led research”], ''JHU Hub'', Baltimore, 27 January 2015. Retrieved on 27 March 2016.</ref> the President's Frontier Award program,<ref>{{cite web|title=Johns Hopkins biologist Scott Bailey receives $250,000 President's Frontier Award|url=http://hub.jhu.edu/2016/02/01/frontier-award-scott-bailey|date=February 2016}}</ref> and the [[Bloomberg Distinguished Professorships]],<ref>Brooks, Kelly [http://hub.jhu.edu/2015/03/30/bloomberg-professors-casadevall-chute-salzberg-szalay "Johns Hopkins names four new Bloomberg Distinguished Professors"], ''JHU Hub'', Baltimore, 30 March 2015. Retrieved on 27 July 2015.</ref> which were established as part of a $350 million gift by [[Michael Bloomberg]].<ref>Office of Communications Staff Report [http://hub.jhu.edu/2013/01/26/bloomberg-gift “Michael R. Bloomberg commits $350 million to Johns Hopkins for transformational academic initiative”], ''JHU Hub'', Baltimore, 26 January 2013. Retrieved on 27 March 2016.</ref><ref>Anderson, Nick. [https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/bloomberg-pledges-350-million-to-johns-hopkins-university/2013/01/26/9c0e1a5a-67d6-11e2-93e1-475791032daf_story.html "Bloomberg pledges $350 million to Johns Hopkins University"], ''The Washington Post'', Washington, D.C., 23 January 2013. Retrieved on 12 March 2015.</ref><ref>Barbaro, Michael. [https://www.nytimes.com/2013/01/27/nyregion/at-1-1-billion-bloomberg-is-top-university-donor-in-us.html?_r=0 "$1.1 Billion in Thanks From Bloomberg to Johns Hopkins"], ''[[The New York Times]]'', New York, 26 January 2013. Retrieved on 1 March 2015.</ref>
==Biography==
Wirtz was born in the [[Ixelles]] municipality of [[Brussels]], 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]] (BAEF),<ref>{{Cite web|title= BAEF Fellowships: Alumni 1980–1989|url= http://www.baef.be/documents/alumni/alumni-1980-1989.xml?lang=en|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> he earned an M.S. and [[Doctorate|Ph.D]] in [[Chemical Engineering]] from [[Stanford University]], working in [[polymer physics]]. He was then granted a fellowship through the [[European Union]]’s Human Capital and Mobility program to conduct postdoctoral research at the [[ESPCI ParisTech|Ecole Supérieure de Physique et Chimie Industrielles (ESPCI)]] in Paris, France.<ref>{{cite web|title= Distinguished Lecturer – Denis Wirtz |url=http://www.cntc.uky.edu/2011/09/16/distiguished-lecturer-denis-wirtz/|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref>
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<ref>{{cite web|title= Chemical and biomolecular engineer Denis Wirtz named Smoot professor|url= http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=14184.php|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> with secondary appointments in the departments of Materials Science and Engineering,<ref>{{cite web|title= Materials Science & Engineering: Associated Faculty|url= http://engineering.jhu.edu/materials/people/associated-faculty/|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> Pathology and Oncology, where he collaborates with fellow researchers in the [[Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Faculty: Denis Wirtz|url= http://engineering.jhu.edu/chembe/faculty/denis-wirtz/|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=The Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center: Laboratory Scientists|url=http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/kimmel_cancer_center/experts/Laboratory_Scientists/index3.html|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref>
Upon his appointment as the Theophilius Halley Smoot Professor of Engineering Physics, <ref>{{cite web|title= Chemical and biomolecular engineer Denis Wirtz named Smoot professor|url= http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=14184.php|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Theophilus Halley Smoot Professorship in Engineering: Established in 1981 by the estate of Theophilus H. Smoot|url=https://webapps.jhu.edu/namedprofessorships/professorshipdetail.cfm?professorshipID=99}}</ref> Dr. Nicholas Jones, former dean of the [[Whiting School of Engineering]], stated <blockquote>"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]] and enable important breakthroughs in the diagnosis and treatment of cancer in the years to come."<ref>{{cite web|title= Chemical and biomolecular engineer Denis Wirtz named Smoot professor|url= http://inbt.jhu.edu/2009/12/28/chemical-and-biomolecular-engineer-denis-wirtz-named-smoot-professor/|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref></blockquote>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, <blockquote>"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)."<ref>{{cite web|title=Denis Wirtz named vice provost for research|url= http://hub.jhu.edu/gazette/2014/march-april/denis-wirtz-vice-provost-for-research|date= 2014-03-06}}</ref></blockquote>
=== 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 Professorships|Bloomberg Distinguished Professors]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Bloomberg Distinguished Professorships|url= http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/BDP}}</ref> managed the inaugural year of the Catalyst and Discovery Awards,<ref>{{cite web|title= Wirtz relishes new role as vice provost for research|url=http://engineering.jhu.edu/chembe/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2015/10/JHU-ChemBE-Bond_9.15_19.pdf|access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref><ref>Hub Staff [http://hub.jhu.edu/at-work/2015/07/06/discovery-award-winners “Johns Hopkins Discovery Awards given to 23 cross-divisional research teams”], ''JHU Hub'', Baltimore, 6 July 2015. Retrieved on 25 March 2016.</ref><ref>Hub Staff [http://hub.jhu.edu/at-work/2015/06/25/catalyst-award-winners “Catalyst Awards granted to 37 early-career Johns Hopkins researchers”], ''JHU Hub'', Baltimore, 25 June 2015. Retrieved on 25 March 2016.</ref> and the first two President's Frontier Awards.<ref>{{cite web|title=Johns Hopkins biologist Scott Bailey receives $250,000 President's Frontier Award|url=http://hub.jhu.edu/2016/02/01/frontier-award-scott-bailey|date=February 2016}}</ref> He has expanded the university's research development efforts, creating a weekly digest of limited submission opportunities,<ref>{{cite web|title=Limited Submissions at Johns Hopkins University|url= http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/awards/Limited_Submissions/About|access-date=2016-03-30}}</ref> a list of more than 175 funding opportunities for postdoctoral researchers,<ref>{{cite web|title= Post-doctoral Funding Opportunities|url=http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/awards/Postdoctoral_Funding|access-date=2016-03-30}}</ref> a list of more than 330 funding opportunities for early career faculty,<ref>{{cite web|title=Early Career Funding Opportunities|url= http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/awards/Early_Career|access-date=2016-03-30}}</ref> and consolidated monthly digests of internal funding opportunities at the institution.<ref>{{cite web|title= Internal Funding Opportunities|url= http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/awards/Internal|access-date=2016-03-30}}</ref> He also consolidated multiple research administration offices into a central research administration team, Johns Hopkins University Research Administration.<ref>{{cite web|title=Johns Hopkins University Research Administration|url= http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/programs_services/research/JHURA|access-date=2016-03-30}}</ref> As director of the university's Signature Initiatives, he has overseen the launch of two new signature initiatives on [[big data]], led by [[Alex Szalay]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Institute of Data Intensive Engineering and Science (IDIES)|url= http://idies.jhu.edu/|access-date=2016-03-30}}</ref> and space studies, Space@Hopkins, led by [[Charles L. Bennett]].<ref>{{cite web|title=JHU's Charles Bennett and Andrew Feinberg named Bloomberg Distinguished Professors|url= http://hub.jhu.edu/2015/12/15/bloomberg-distinguished-professors-bennett-and-feinberg|access-date=2016-03-30|date= 2015-12-15}}</ref> These are in addition to [[Kathryn Edin]]’s 21st Century Cities Initiative, [[Barbara Landau]]’s Science of Learning Institute, Scott Zeger’s Individualized Health Initiative, and David Peters’ Global Health Signature Initiative.<ref>{{cite web|title=Signature Initiatives|url= http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/initiatives/SI/index.html|access-date=2016-03-30}}</ref>
Wirtz also directs the Johns Hopkins Physical Sciences-Oncology Center (PSOC),<ref>Gebel, Erika [http://engineering.jhu.edu/chembe/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2013/11/chembe-fall09.pdf “Engineers Join Fight Against Cancer”], ''ChemBE BOND'', Baltimore, Fall 2009. Retrieved on 28 March 2016</ref> which is part of a network of twelve centers in the United States funded by the [[National Institutes of Health]]’s [[National Cancer Institute]] to link the [[physical sciences]] with the [[oncology|study of cancer]].<ref>{{cite journal|url= https://www.aps.org/publications/apsnews/201006/cell.cfm |title= Cell is Mechanical Device |first=Calla |last=Cofield |journal=APS News |volume=19 |number=6 |date=June 2010|access-date=27 March 2016}}</ref> When the center was established with a $14.8M grant in 2009, Wirtz stated, <blockquote>"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]] has] given us major funding for a center to study all the steps in the metastatic cascade."<ref>Gebel, Erika [http://engineering.jhu.edu/chembe/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2013/11/chembe-fall09.pdf “Engineers Join Fight Against Cancer”], ''ChemBE BOND'', Baltimore, Fall 2009. Retrieved on 28 March 2016</ref> </blockquote>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]] and [[medicine]]."<ref>Spiro, Mary [http://hub.jhu.edu/at-work/2015/11/20/inbt-gerecht-and-mao “Institute for NanoBioTechnology adds two to leadership team”], ''HUB at Work'', Baltimore, 20 November 2010. Retrieved on 28 March 2016.</ref>  With more than 250 affiliated faculty members from the Johns Hopkins [[Whiting School of Engineering|schools of Engineering]], [[Zanvyl Krieger School of Arts and Sciences|Arts and Sciences]], [[Johns Hopkins School of Medicine|Medicine]], and [[Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health|Public Health]] and scientists from the [[Applied Physics Laboratory]], the institute is home to several center grants and numerous education, training, and outreach programs. INBT counts [[Becton Dickinson]], [[MedImmune]], [[Northrop Grumman]], Secant Medical, and [[Under Armour]] among its corporate partners, and Wirtz has previously served as a Nikon Partner in Science since 2008.<ref>{{cite web|title=INBT Corporate Partnerships Program|url= http://inbt.jhu.edu/partnership/|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref>
Wirtz is the PI of a [[National Science Foundation]] Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) site in the Nanotechnology for Biology and Bioengineering program.<ref>{{cite web|title=Award Abstract #1460716: REU Site: Program in Nanotechnology for Biology and Bioengineering|url=https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1460716 |access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=National Science Foundation REU Sites |url=https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/reu/list_result.jsp?unitid=5048|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> Wirtz also founded the Johns Hopkins Center for Digital Pathology that brings together [[pathologists]], surgeons, [[oncologists]], and engineers to develop new single-cell technology for improved [[Diagnostic test|diagnostic]], [[Prognostics|prognostic]], therapeutic approaches for [[Disease|human diseases]], including [[cancer]], Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and [[Frailty syndrome|frailty in aging]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Center for Digital Pathology|url=http://digitalpathology.inbt.jhu.edu/|access-date=2016-03-28|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160403230012/http://digitalpathology.inbt.jhu.edu/|archive-date=2016-04-03|url-status=dead}}</ref> He co-directs the Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center,<ref>{{cite web|title= Cancer Nanotechnology Training Centers (CNTCs)|url= http://nano.cancer.gov/action/programs/cntc.asp|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> another [[National Cancer Institute]]-funded entity. From 2005 to 2012, he also directed a [[Howard Hughes Medical Institute]] (HHMI) funded interdisciplinary graduate research training program in [[nanotechnology]] for biology and [[medicine]]. The program aimed to produce researchers able to create new particles and materials to be used in the detection, treatment, prevention, and cure of [[Disease|human disease]]. It recruited students from [[biochemistry]], chemistry, physics, biology, and [[engineering]], while making a special effort to include minorities under-represented in science.<ref>{{cite web|title= HHMI Awards $10 Million for Interdisciplinary Graduate Education|url= http://www.hhmi.org/news/hhmi-awards-10-million-interdisciplinary-graduate-education|access-date=2016-03-26}}</ref>
=== Awards and distinctions ===
Wirtz was elected fellow of the [[American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering]] in 2006 for "major contributions in molecular cell mechanics and the development of particle tracking methods for cell and molecular biology."<ref>{{Cite web|title= Denis Wirtz, Ph.D. AIMBE College of Fellows Class of 2006|url=http://aimbe.org/college-of-fellows/COF-1089/|access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref> In 2009, he was elected fellow of the [[American Association for the Advancement of Science]] 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."<ref>Parsons, Tim [http://www.jhsph.edu/news/stories/2009/aaas-fellows-2009.html “Seven Johns Hopkins Researchers Named AAAS Fellows”], ''[[Johns Hopkins School of Public Health]]'', Baltimore, 19 December 2009. Retrieved on 25 March 2016.</ref><ref>Spiro, Mary [http://inbt.jhu.edu/2009/12/21/inbt-eoc-directors-named-aaas-2009-fellows/ “INBT, EOC directors named AAAS 2009 Fellows”], ''Institute for NanoBioTechnology'', Baltimore, 21 December 2009. Retrieved on 25 March 2016.</ref> Wirtz was elected fellow of the [[American Physical Society]] 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."<ref>American Physical Society [http://www.aps.org/programs/honors/fellowships/archive-all.cfm?institution=Johns%20Hopkins%20University&nom_unit=&year= “APS Fellow Archive”], [[American Physical Society]], Washington DC, 31 December 2010. Retrieved on 25 March 2016.</ref> In 2011, he was elected member of the [[Belgian American Educational Foundation]] (BAEF).<ref>{{Cite web|title= Belgian American Educational Foundation BAEF Members|url= http://www.baef.be/documents/about-us/governance/members.xml?lang=en|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref>
Wirtz is also a member of the [[American Institute of Chemical Engineers]]<ref>{{Cite web|title= AIChE Community: Denis Wirtz|url= http://www.aiche.org/sbe/community/bio/denis-wirtz|access-date=2016-03-25|date= 2012-12-19}}</ref> Biophysical Society, American Society for Microbiology, [[American Society for Cell Biology]], American Society for Microbiology, and [[Society of Rheology]].
Wirtz is a 1996 recipient of the [[National Science Foundation]] [[National Science Foundation CAREER Awards|CAREER Award]] for: “A Research and Teaching Program in Complex Fluids Dynamics.”.<ref>National Science Foundation. [https://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/career/awards/fy96/96career.htm “Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Awards (FY 1996)”] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303174531/http://www.nsf.gov/crssprgm/career/awards/fy96/96career.htm |date=2016-03-03 }}, ''[[National Science Foundation]]'', Arlington, 31 December 1996. Retrieved on 25 March 2016.</ref> In 1997, he received the [[Whitaker Foundation]]’s Biomedical Engineering Award.<ref>{{cite web|title= Chemical and biomolecular engineer Denis Wirtz named Smoot professor|url= http://www.nanowerk.com/news/newsid=14184.php|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref><ref>Spiro, Mary [http://hub.jhu.edu/2015/01/28/gerecht-presidents-frontier-award “Johns Hopkins stem cell researcher Sharon Gerecht receives inaugural President's Frontier Award”], ''JHU Hub'', Baltimore, 28 January 2015. Retrieved on 25 March 2016.</ref> 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]] 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Faculty & Students Win Invention, Business Plan Awards|url= http://www.learningace.com/doc/5236630/8e8bfbbe3a97fad59c1b041dea0ba5a9/metrics-f05|access-date= 2016-03-28}}</ref>
Since 2008, he has been the Editor-in-Chief of ''Cell Health and the Cytoskeleton''.<ref>{{cite web|title=Cell Health and Cytoskeleton, Editor-in-Chief: Professor Denis Wirtz|url=https://www.dovepress.com/cell-health-and-cytoskeleton-journal|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> He is on the Editorial Boards of ''[[Scientific Reports]]'', ''Cell Adhesion & Migration'',<ref>{{cite web|title= Cell Adhesion & Migration: Editorial Board|url= http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?show=editorialBoard&journalCode=kcam20#.VvlskPlVikk|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> ''World Journal of Biological Chemistry'',<ref>{{cite web|title=World Journal of Biological Chemistry: Members of the Editorial Board|url=http://www.wjgnet.com/1949-8454/edboard.htm|access-date=2016-03-28|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151218114142/http://www.wjgnet.com/1949-8454/edboard.htm|archive-date=2015-12-18}}</ref> and ''TECHNOLOGY''.<ref>{{cite web|title=TECHNOLOGY: Editorial Board|url=http://www.technologythejournal.com/board.html|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> Wirtz formerly served on the editorial boards of ''[[Physical Biology]]'', ''Journal of the Royal Society Interface Focus'', ''[[Biophysical Journal]]'',<ref>Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering [http://engineering.jhu.edu/chembe/wp-content/uploads/sites/11/2013/11/chembe-fall09.pdf “Faculty Awards”], ''ChemBE BOND'', Baltimore, Fall 2009. Retrieved on 28 March 2016</ref> ''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]]'', as the guest editor of a Special Issue of ''[[Physical Biology]]'' on physical oncology,<ref>Lee, Jerry and Denis Wirtz [http://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1478-3975/8/1/010301 “Preface: Physical oncology”], ''[[Physical Biology]]'', United Kingdom, 1 August 2011. Retrieved on 28 March 2016.</ref> and as the editor of the Cell Biophysics section of ''Comprehensive Biophysics''.<ref>{{cite web|title= Comprehensive Biophysics|url= http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/referenceworks/9780080957180#ancv7|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite book|title= Comprehensive Biophysics|isbn= 978-0123749208|year= 2012|last1= Egelman|first1= Edward|publisher= Elsevier Science}}</ref> 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 [[National Cancer Institute]] and [[National Science Foundation]] 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.”<ref>{{cite web|title= Final Report Assessment of Physical sciences and Engineering advances in Life sciences and Oncology (APHELION) Europe Study|url= http://physics.cancer.gov/report/Aphelion.aspx|access-date=2016-03-25}}</ref>
Recent plenary talks include: [[ASME]] 2015 4th Global Congress on NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology;<ref>{{cite web|title=The ASME 2015 4th Global Congress on NanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology|url=http://www.asmeconferences.org/NEMB2015/|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title= Bad kids or bad neighborhood? How cells turn rogue, escape incarceration, and become a cancer upon their surroundings.|url= http://www.asmeconferences.org/NEMB2015/Wirtz.cfm|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> 2015 Cell Mechanics, Morphogenesis and Pattern Formation Workshop, [[Isaac Newton Institute]] at the [[University of Cambridge]];<ref>{{cite web|title=Cell Mechanics, Morphogenesis and Pattern Formation: perspectives from the experimental and theoretical points of view|url= https://www.newton.ac.uk/event/cgpw02|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> 2015 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit;<ref>{{cite web|title=2015 MRS Fall Meeting & Exhibit|url=http://www.mrs.org/fall-2015-call-for-papers-k/|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> 2015 [[American Society for Cell Biology]] Cell Biology Annual Meeting;<ref>{{cite web|title= The Cellular and Molecular Basis of Invasive Metastatic Cancer|url=http://www.ascb.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/2015ASCBProgramFull1-1.pdf|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> 2014 Longrifles Cancer Seminar, [[Johns Hopkins School of Medicine]];<ref>{{cite web|title=Longrifles Cancer Seminar in Baltimore|url=http://baltimore.eventful.com/events/longrifles-cancer-seminar-/E0-001-065744964-8|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref> and 2014 [[IUTAM]] Symposium on Mechanics of Soft Active Materials; 2013 The [[Centre for Neuroscience and Cell Biology]] (CNC) annual conference in Coimbra, Portugal;<ref>{{cite web|title=CNC Keynote Speaker: Engineering approaches to molecular cell biology|url= https://cncmeeting2013.wordpress.com/programme/dec19/|access-date=2016-03-31|date= 2013-11-29}}</ref> distinguished lecturer at the Cancer Nanotechnology Training Center, [[University of Kentucky]].<ref>{{cite web|title= Distinguished Lecturer – Denis Wirtz |url=http://www.cntc.uky.edu/2011/09/16/distiguished-lecturer-denis-wirtz/|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref>
In 2019, we was elected as a foreign member of the [[Academies of Belgium|Belgian Royal Academy of Medicine (ARMB)]].<ref>{{cite web|title =Royal Academy of Medicine of Belgium: Denis Wirtz |url=http://www.armb.be/index.php?id=6805|access-date=2020-05-05}}</ref>
==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]] on nuclear shape and [[gene expression]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Faculty: Denis Wirtz|url= http://engineering.jhu.edu/chembe/faculty/denis-wirtz/|access-date=2016-03-30}}</ref> 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.<ref>{{cite web|title=Wirtz Lab|url= http://wirtzlab.johnshopkins.edu/|access-date=2016-03-30}}</ref> He has made important contributions to molecular and biophysical mechanisms of [[cell motility]] and [[Cell adhesion|adhesion]] and nuclear dynamics in health and disease, and he pioneered the method of particle-tracking [[microrheology]] to probe the rheological properties of [[complex fluid]]s and living cells and tissues.<ref>{{cite web|title= Distinguished Lecturer – Denis Wirtz |url=http://www.cntc.uky.edu/2011/09/16/distiguished-lecturer-denis-wirtz/|access-date=2016-03-28}}</ref>
Wirtz currently holds several [[patent]]s on his work.<ref>{{cite web|title=Patents by Inventor Denis Wirtz|url=http://patents.justia.com/inventor/denis-wirtz|access-date=2016-03-31}}</ref>
;2D vs. 3D cell migration
Wirtz's lab identified fundamental differences between conventional 2D migration and more physiologically relevant 3D migration in [[cancer cell]]s, creating new understanding of the [[tumor microenvironment]] and [[metastasis]].  In particular, they found that the [[Cell nucleus|nucleus]], [[Cell adhesion molecule|focal adhesion molecules]], the [[Nuclear lamina|lamina]], [[LINC complex]]es, and [[matrix metalloproteinase]] (MMPs) play a central role in 3D migration (migration in 3D [[collagen]]-rich matrices) that is not predicted or extrapolated from the better known 2D case (use of a [[Petri dish]]).
''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]]''. 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 [[Cell adhesion molecule|focal adhesion proteins]] in three-dimensional cell motility'', in: ''[[Nature Cell Biology]]''. Vol. 12; 598–604.
*2011, D. Wirtz, K. Konstantopoulos, P.C. Searson, ''The physics of [[cancer]]: the role of physical interactions and mechanical forces in metastasis'', in: ''[[Nature Reviews Cancer]]''. 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]]''. Vol. 3; 719.
*2013, K. Konstantopoulos, P.-H. Wu, and D. Wirtz, ''Dimensional control of [[cancer cell]] migration'', in: ''[[Biophysical Journal]]''. 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]]''. 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: ''[[PNAS]]''. 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]]''. Vol. 10; 517–527.
;Cell and nuclear mechanics
Wirtz developed novel tools and concepts to study the role of [[Cell nucleus|nucleus]] and nuclear connections to the [[cytoskeleton]] and key [[Cell biology|cell functions]], including 2D and 3D [[cell migration]] and adhesion, [[mechanosensation]], and mechanotransduction. In particular, he identified [[LINC complex]]es and the so-called [[Nuclear membrane|perinuclear]] [[actin]] cap as key mediators of physical signaling between the cytoplasm and the [[Cell nucleus|nuclear interior]]. More recently, he discovered that the [[nuclear lamina]] of [[Cell adhesion|adherent cells]] is polarized through the actin cap, which in turn polarizes [[Acetylation|hyper-acetylated]] forms of [[histone]]s in the [[Cell nucleus|nucleus]]. ''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 [[actin]] cap regulates nuclear shape'', in: ''[[PNAS]]''. 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 (journal)|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 [[actin]] cap connects the extracellular milieu to the nucleus for ultrafast mechanotransduction'', in: ''[[Scientific Reports]]''. 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: ''[[Scientific Reports]]''. Vol. 2; 488–499.
*2014, D.H. Kim, S. Cho, and D. Wirtz, ''Tight coupling between nucleus and cell migration through the perinuclear [[actin]] cap'', in: ''[[Journal of Cell Science]]''. 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]]''. Vol. 773; 471–490.
*2015, D.H. Kim and D. Wirtz, ''Cytoskeletal tension induces the 3D polarized architecture of the [[Cell nucleus|nucleus]]'', in: ''[[Biomaterials (journal)|Biomaterials]]''. Vol. 48; 161–172.
;Single-molecule adhesion nanomechanics
Using single-molecule force [[spectroscopy]], his lab showed how [[Cell adhesion molecule|intracellular molecules]] such as a-catenin and [[Beta-catenin|b-catenin]] modulate [[cell adhesion|cell-cell adhesion]] mediated by [[E-cadherin]]. ''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: ''[[PNAS]]''. 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]]''. 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: ''[[Journal of Cell Science]]''. 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]]s'', in: ''[[Biophysical Journal]]''. 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.<ref>Google Scholar [https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=UJP_JHEAAAAJ&hl=en "Author: Denis Wirtz"], ''[[Google Scholar]]'', 9 June 2020. Retrieved on 9 June 2020.</ref>
;Highly cited articles<ref>Google Scholar [https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=UJP_JHEAAAAJ&hl=en "Author: Denis Wirtz"], ''[[Google Scholar]]'', 25 March 2016. Retrieved on 25 March 2016.</ref>
*2011, ''The physics of cancer: the role of physical interactions and mechanical forces in metastasis'', in: ''[[Nature Reviews Cancer]]''. Vol. 11, nº 7; 512–522.
*2010, ''A distinctive role for focal adhesion proteins in three-dimensional cell motility'', in: ''[[Nature Cell Biology]]''. Vol. 12, nº 6; 598–604.
*2009, ''Particle-tracking microrheology of living cells: principles and applications'', in: ''[[Annual Review of Biophysics]]''. Vol 38; 301–326.
*2003, ''Efficient active transport of gene nanocarriers to the cell nucleus'', in: ''[[PNAS]]''. Vol. 100, nº 7; 3878–3882.
*2002, ''Micromechanical mapping of live cells by multiple-particle-tracking microrheology'', in: ''[[Biophysical Journal]]''. Vol. 83, nº 6; 3162–3176.
*2000, ''Mechanics of living cells measured by laser tracking microrheology'', in: ''[[Biophysical Journal]]''. Vol. 78, nº 4; 1736–1747.
*1998, ''Reversible hydrogels from self-assembling artificial proteins'', in: ''[[Science (journal)|Science]]''. Vol. 281, nº 5375; 389–392.
* 1997, ''Particle tracking microrheology of complex fluids'', in: ''[[Physical Review Letters]]''. Vol. 79, nº 17; 3282.
==See also==
* [[Bloomberg Distinguished Professorships]]
* [[Johns Hopkins University]]
* [[Ronald J. Daniels]]
* [[National Cancer Institute]]
* [[Physical Sciences-Oncology Centers]]
* [[Cell CANARY]]
* [[Belgian American Educational Foundation]]
==References==
{{reflist}}
== External links ==
* [http://www.hopkinsmedicine.org/profiles/results/directory/profile/4158695/denis-wirtz Pathology and Oncology],
==External links==
* [http://web.jhu.edu/administration/provost/bios/wirtz Vice Provost for Research Webpage]
* [http://engineering.jhu.edu/chembe/faculty/denis-wirtz/ Faculty Webpage]
* [http://wirtzlab.johnshopkins.edu/ Wirtz Group Website]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Wirtz, Denis}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:1965 births]]
[[Category:Scientists from Brussels]]
[[Category:Johns Hopkins University faculty]]
[[Category:Stanford University alumni]]
[[Category:Fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science]]
[[Category:Fellows of the American Physical Society]]
[[Category:Fellows of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering]]
[[Category:20th-century Belgian educators]]
[[Category:21st-century Belgian educators]]