Rate My Professor Bart Smeets

Bart Smeets is an associate professor in the Faculty of Bioscience Engineering at KU Leuven, affiliated with the Department of Biosystems. He heads the Subdivision MeBioS Technologies-BS and is a member of the Division MeBioS Technologies within the Mechatronics, Biostatistics and Sensors unit. Additionally, he contributes to iSi Health - KU Leuven Institute of Physics-based Modeling for In Silico Health and Leuven One Health – KU Leuven One Health Institute. Smeets' research centers on multicellular system dynamics, mechanobiology, particle-based modeling, active matter, and biophysics. His investigations explore self-organization in living systems, mechanical and rheological properties of cell assemblies and tissues, biofilm architecture's role in antimicrobial resistance, tissue engineering, and magnetic biofabrication techniques. He leads or co-promotes projects including 'The role of ESKAPE biofilm architecture on the emergence and spread of antimicrobial resistance' (2026-2029), 'Magnetic actuation for biofabrication and mechanical characterization of artificial tissue constructs' (2024-2028), 'Mechanical and rheological characterization of micro-tissues for tissue engineering' (2023-2027), and 'Limits of life: The role of self-organization in the transition from non-living to living systems' (2025-2029).

Smeets has advanced computational modeling of biological systems through key publications such as 'Stress-dependent growth in breast cancer arises from a mechano-osmotic coupling and cell-sizing checkpoint' (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2026), 'Guidance for 3D traction force microscopy today and in the next decade' (Nature Methods, 2026), 'Active foam dynamics of tissue spheroid fusion' (Nature Communications, 2025), 'Emergent structures and dynamics of cell colonies by contact inhibition of locomotion' (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2016), 'Polygon-based contact description for modeling arbitrary polyhedra in the Discrete Element Method' (Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 2015), and 'Assessment of bruise volumes in apples using X-ray computed tomography' (Postharvest Biology and Technology, 2017). His scholarship has accumulated over 1,400 citations. Smeets teaches courses including Mechanics of Solid Matter, Mechanical Unit Operations, Modeling of Tissue Physiology, and supervises master's theses in Biosystems Engineering and Human Health Engineering. He began his research developing particle-based simulations of multicellular assemblies in the laboratory of Prof. H. Ramon at KU Leuven.