Developmental cortical mapping
Mapping spatially heterogeneous cortical growth from large-scale fetal and neonatal neuroimaging.
Computational Brain Biomechanics · Neuroimaging · AI
Understanding how the brain takes shape.
I combine developmental neuroimaging, computational mechanics, and interpretable AI to uncover the physical principles of human brain growth, folding, and development.
Imaging × mechanics × development
Research
Three connected directions centered on understanding how the developing brain acquires its form.
Whole-brain morphogenesis
Building anatomically realistic finite-element models of cortical growth and folding.
Interpretable scientific AI
Using machine learning and symbolic regression to discover compact, physics-compatible models.
Selected publications
First-author work is shown visually. The thumbnails are original website schematics and can be replaced with your actual paper figures in the local editor.
Biophysical modeling of anatomically realistic prenatal cortical folding development
Jixin Hou, Zhengwang Wu, Kun Jiang, Taotao Wu, Lu Zhang, et al.
Imaging-informed, whole-brain biophysical modeling of prenatal cortical morphogenesis.
Mechanical characterization of brain tissue: experimental techniques, human testing considerations, and perspectives
Jixin Hou, Kun Jiang, Arunachalam Ramanathan, et al.
A broad synthesis of experimental and imaging approaches for characterizing brain tissue mechanics.
Role of data-driven regional growth model in shaping brain folding patterns
Jixin Hou, Zhengwang Wu, Xianyan Chen, Li Wang, et al.
Regional growth laws derived from imaging improve mechanistic simulations of cortical folding.
Exploring hyperelastic material model discovery for human brain cortex: Multivariate analysis vs. artificial neural network approaches
Jixin Hou, Nicholas Filla, Xianyan Chen, Mir Jalil Razavi, et al.
Comparing interpretable regression and neural approaches for automated constitutive-model discovery.
Automated data-driven discovery of material models based on symbolic regression: A case study on the human brain cortex
Jixin Hou, Xianyan Chen, Taotao Wu, Ellen Kuhl, Xianqiao Wang
Symbolic regression discovers interpretable hyperelastic models directly from mechanical data.
A multiscale computation study on bruise susceptibility of blueberries from mechanical impact
Jixin Hou, Bosoon Park, Changying Li, Xianqiao Wang
Multiscale finite-element modeling links fruit microstructure, impact conditions, and bruising.