Hertha Sponer Distinguished Professor of Physics
Appointments and Affiliations
- Hertha Sponer Distinguished Professor of Physics
- Professor of Physics
- Co-Director of the Duke Materials Initiative
- Professor of Biomedical Engineering
- Professor of Biology
- Professor in the Thomas Lord Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
Contact Information
- Office Location: 2316 French Family Science Center, Duke Box 90305, 124 Science Drive, Durham, NC 27708
- Email Address: christoph.schmidt@duke.edu
- Websites:
Education
- D.R. Technical University of Munich (Germany), 1988
Courses Taught
- PHYSICS 995: Graduate Training Internship
- PHYSICS 493: Research Independent Study
- PHYSICS 415: Biophysics II
- PHYSICS 174: Introduction to Frontiers of Biophysics
- BIOLOGY 425: Biophysics II
In the News
Representative Publications
- Haertter, Daniel, Lara Hauke, Til Driehorst, Kengo Nishi, Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann, and Christoph F. Schmidt. “Sarcomere dynamic instability and stochastic heterogeneity drive robust cardiomyocyte contraction.” ELife Sciences Publications, Ltd, May 7, 2026. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.97321.
- Haertter, Daniel, Lara Hauke, Til Driehorst, Kengo Nishi, Wolfram-Hubertus Zimmermann, and Christoph F. Schmidt. “Sarcomere dynamic instability and stochastic heterogeneity drive robust cardiomyocyte contraction.” ELife Sciences Publications, Ltd, May 7, 2026. https://doi.org/10.7554/elife.97321.2.
- Guan, Chonglin, Kengo Nishi, Christian T. Kreis, Oliver Bäumchen, Martin C. Göpfert, and Christoph F. Schmidt. “Myosin II-driven contractions of supporting cap cells promote sensory adaptation of Drosophila proprioceptors.” Current Biology : CB 36, no. 7 (April 2026): 1865-1871.e3. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2026.02.032.
- Nishi, K., S. Raja, A. Pham, R. Freeman, A. Roll-Mecak, F. C. MacKintosh, and C. F. Schmidt. “Nonequilibrium Bending Fluctuations Reveal the Mechanics of Microtubules and Mitochondria in Living Cells.” Prx Life 4, no. 1 (January 1, 2026). https://doi.org/10.1103/k75n-57qk.
- Albarrán, Octavio, Renata Garcés, Giacomo Po, Christoph F. Schmidt, and Jeff D. Eldredge. “Nonlinear continuum description of the E. coli cell wall under high turgor pressure.” Physical Review. E 111, no. 6–1 (June 2025): 064405. https://doi.org/10.1103/physreve.111.064405.