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what field am i interested in and what is my plan
- My goal is to study living system dynamics through mathematical modeling that encodes biological and physical knowledge, examining how self-organized material structures give rise to emergent life properties, such as morphogenesis and condensate formation, with applications to material manufacturing challenges.
- During my PhD, I hope to continue investigating developmental and condensate biology through active matter modeling with researchers such as Dr. Daniel Cohen (Princeton) and Dr. Mattia Serra (UCSD).
- In the long term, I plan to coordinate focused research organizations like Convergent Research, founded by Hertz Fellow Adam Marblestone. These organizations unite academic, nonprofit, and industry researchers to create public knowledge goods addressing environmental and national challenges. My tentative focus is biological-abiological interactions in sustainable materials and buildings, working toward ecological resilience and community health. My experience bridging physics and biology teams across global institutions and implementing complex technical projects has prepared me to lead such initiatives.
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how did the interest born and develop
- At Minerva University, I took classes on complex adaptive systems that showed me the prevalence of self-organization – how microscopic interactions create macroscopic patterns. Since Minerva lacks research facilities, I contacted and secured external research internships to build a technical foundation for studying self-assembly: polymer nanomaterial synthesis at Hanyang University, elasticity optimization for metamaterials at Carnegie Mellon, and geometric deep learning for particle physics at UChicago/Fermilab with Dr. Giuseppe Cerati. These experiences equipped me with computational methods (C++, Docker), data science (neural networks, optimization algorithms), and material mechanics (elasticity, nucleation stability) – essential and transferrable skills to understand and design the material properties of any model system.
- My specific interest in living system dynamics emerged through two pivotal experiences. First, I watched seminars on the mathematics of collective intelligence recommended by my statistical physics professor. This exposed me to researchers like L. Mahadevan and Orit Peleg, who demonstrated how physical principles explain biological phenomena from morphogenesis to swarm communication. Second, my work in forest construction (see personal essay) revealed how self-organization often entangles with environmental adaptation, which can be better characterized by morphogenesis, or development of functional forms.
- I turned my technical foundation and emerging biological interest into two longer and more agentic projects in biology. For my thesis at Humboldt University Berlin, I modeled information processing in animal groups with Dr. Pawel Romanczuk and Dr. Yinong Zhao, developing frameworks for geometric perception in collective behavior. After graduation from UNC-Chapel Hill, I analyzed cell-cell junctions in developmental tissue mechanics with Dr. Mark Peifer’s lab, grasping the data generation process and biological literature that inform better theoretical models of tissue flow.
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what is the field’s history and application that i am interested in as well
During the International Soft Matter Conference Young Investigator Workshop in July 2024, I participated in a working group presentation to compile the future directions for applying active matter physics theories to soft and living systems. Active matter extracts energy from its surroundings at the single particle level and transforms it into mechanical work. This theory historically stems from fluid dynamics in microswimmers with pattern formation and phase transitions.
Based on my interest and presentation for the continuum and microscopic modeling section of the group presentation, Dr. Tzer Han Tan, a leader in this area, recommended the review “Symmetry, Thermodynamics, and Topology in Active Matter,” which addresses limitations in continuum models that treat material properties as fixed. Living tissues, however, adapt their mechanical responses dynamically, requiring models that capture both solid-like and fluid-like behaviors. Such models better reflect tissue forces like traveling waves, crucial for spatial signaling within cell layers.
To learn how to apply physical theories effectively, I asked the active matter pioneer Dr. Jean-François Joanny. He emphasized that a robust theory should reveal new perspectives on a system, such as topological defects from nematic liquid crystals. Defects are a unifying theme in my research, appearing as instability in polymer and metamaterials and as organizing centers for multicellular flow in morphogenesis. Recognizing this connection excites me to further explore defects in biology during my graduate studies, where I can incorporate physical theories of topological and adaptive mechanical properties into morphogenetic systems.
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what project am i working on rn
- I’m currently at Dr. Mark Peifer’s lab at UNC. We look at how the cytoskeleton links dynamically to the cell-cell junctions to enable tissue development in Drosophila, specifically the molecular mechanism of an intrinsically disordered protein in the linker cluster. I came to this lab to learn about the biology details and the data generation process, so my primary contribution is genetic perturbation and image quantification. Since June, I got to start a fun collaboration between my lab and a theorist — we are currently working on a model of the junctional condensate. As a next step we are brainstorming ways to incorporate this dynamics into the vertex tissue model, because the shear dissipation for cell-cell borders during rearrangement would be affected by the adhesion strength. (you can check out my poster for the experimental part)
- On the side, I’ve been wrapping up the topological flocking project with my thesis mentor. We wanted to characterize how the interaction mechanisms (metric vs KNN/Voronoi) affect how informed individuals transmit signals in the flock (Couzin et al 2005). The interesting bit is that the KNN flock has a “clustering” transition (2022) that reduces the effective number of informed individuals to induce order. I’m cleaning up the results to check if this is due to internal structure or relaxation time. It’s still a work in progress, but I’d be interested to discuss it further.
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the outcome or product of a project
After graduating, I joined Dr. Mark Peifer’s lab at UNC Chapel Hill to gain hands-on experience with experimental biology, aiming to make more informed models that capture complex cellular dynamics. Our research focuses on cell-cell adhesion and tissue morphogenesis, particularly the role of adhesion proteins during embryonic development, where cells undergo coordinated movements while maintaining tissue integrity. Using genetic mutants, our lab investigates how adhesion scaffold proteins influence these processes, anchoring cytoskeletal forces at cell junctions where they dissipate to allow tissue rearrangement.
In my work, I observed that mutants of the intrinsically disordered scaffold protein Canoe/Afadin fail to localize to cell junctions under high tension, causing tissue buckling and disrupting development during a critical cell rearrangement phase. This mislocalization also leads to a loss of planar cell polarity, affecting tissue stability. When I discussed my conceptual diagram of these findings with my mentor, we discussed a hypothesis of the disordered protein Canoe’s role in forming multivalent condensates that regulat planar polarity and junctional coupling to developmental forces.
To test our hypothesis about how these adhesion molecules interact under force, I began building the first computational model for this system. I first audited a graduate-level course to learn cellular modeling methods and developed a basic protein network model. This model featured mechanosensitive interactions in the adhesion complex, along with a vertex-based representation of cells to simulate tissue-level behaviors.
After presenting my prototype models to the lab, I gathered feedback on additional biological details and relevant literature. For example, I learned that there are several hypotheses about the molecular mechanism behind the planar cell polarity establishment in feedback to the adherens junction molecules, so it is important to model and predict outcomes of these unmeasurable mechanisms to test the hypothesis.
Presenting the revised model at the UPenn Soft Living Matter Meeting was a pivotal step, since I got to have model feedback from three theorists specializing in condensate regulation, condensate-cytoskeleton interactions, and vertex modeling for developmental mechanics. I continued collaborating with the theorist focused on condensate interactions, Dr. Hongbo Zhao. We developed a multicomponent Cahn-Hilliard framework with enzyme kinetics and cellular structural dynamics. By incorporating factors like wettability and the fluid-solid state of the cell’s internal structure, we crafted equations that capture how protein condensates within junctions respond to mechanical forces. I am now implementing this model in C++.
My next step for refining this model is to incorporate super-resolution and live-imaging data from our lab’s ongoing experiments, which could help us visualize protein dynamics with unprecedented detail. I plan to extend this class of models as a generalizable framework for understanding other junctional or developmental condensates, providing new insights into the physical principles guiding tissue morphogenesis and biomaterial design.
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most excited project type
- In terms of approach, I like minimal models, especially those that collaborate closely with people who know the system well. I was really excited when I interned at Humboldt because we would start with a set of phenomena, write simple models, simulate and explore weird behaviors, then iterate the model and/or analysis to become more comprehensive. From your flocking (Voronoi) and tissue (Vertex) papers, it seems like you take a similar approach. I notice that there’s some active matter or hydrodynamic methods that I haven’t used yet but would be interested to learn to do this systematically.
- In terms of topic/question, I like emergent properties. Before my thesis I explored this in nonliving passive systems, like polymer crystals, ruffle metamaterials, graph neural networks, because they all have structural properties that come from assembly. Then I saw L Mahadevan’s work on mechanical communication in bee swarms, which got me interested in self-assembly in active and living systems. In this active matter review, I found the section on nonreciprocal interaction to be an interesting lens. But I wonder if there is more transferrable concepts between cells in a tissue and animals in a flock, because I haven’t been able to find as much work on the animal and flocking side of the field.
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what directions in research most interested in during grad school
- Having tried both theory and experiment, I think I resonate with the former group more, so I want to immerse in a theory/computational community for mentorship. I have more of a math and data background than physics (I’ve taken staistical mechanics, information theory and classical mechanics), so I’m thinking to get a bit more training on the continuum mechanics and soft matter.
- My organizing theme is physics-informed models of mainly living systems. I am interested in several directions: collective cell behavior and development or macromolecular organization, collective animal behavior and information processing, and if possible, connection between the two with generalizable model frameworks. For example, how does interaction geometry affect collective behavior, and does it vary between tasks and systems? How might we incorporate the functional adaptation or selection mechanism that acts on the self-assembly? I am open to explore applications in biomaterials and conservation.
- I want to explore the potential of having experimental/field collaborators.
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which lab do you want to work with during grad
Within living matter modeling, I am particularly interested in how subcellular structures, such as biomolecular condensates, drive emergent multicellular processes in morphogenesis. To pursue this theme in graduate school, I’m looking for a co-advising pair that enables me to build models spanning subcellular and organismal scales.
At UCSD, I have discussed my research with Dr. Mattia Serra and Dr. Hongbo Zhao, who suggested a potential co-advising project focused on the role of junctional condensates in generating and dissipating shear forces during tissue rearrangement. Dr. Serra’s work on topological defects as Lagrangian generators of morphogenetic flow has fostered my interest in tissue mechanics, mainly through the lenses of modularity and evolvability. Dr. Zhao’s expertise in active chemical regulation and its effects on condensate size aligns closely with my current work on mechanosensitive proteins at UNC. Together, this pairing would allow me to model morphogenetic flow through a framework of junctional phase separation and tissue mechanics. I plan to leverage fellowship resources to run pilot collaborations with experimentalists to explore diverse model systems to see through the lens of our theories.
At Princeton, Dr. Daniel Cohen’s research on tissue dynamics and cadherin-ECM interfaces connects well with my background in cell-cell adhesion. I am particularly drawn to his models of tissue-tissue interactions and hope to explore how substrate softness influences tissue wetting and architecture. On the subcellular level, Dr. Ned Wingreen and his collaborator Dr. Martin Jonikas are modeling enzyme-regulated condensates in CO2-absorbing plant cells. Their work intersects with a recent proposal I co-wrote, applying similar modeling techniques to study regulator condensates in plant adaptation pathways. This group of mentors would support my goal of modeling condensate control and its application to engineering plant stress responses in food crops. I plan to leverage fellowship resources to prototype with engineering collaborators who could translate these models into sustainable material applications.
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another interest in life outside research
I work with ecological communities to develop simple biomaterials that enhance climate resilience at the community scale. From artificial wetland filtration in Hawaii to urban farm waste in Argentina, I forge coalitions with local organizations to apply natural design principles of morphogenesis and living matter to food, waste, and water challenges.
I am motivated by the potential for biophysics and material research to revolutionize manufacturing and improve the relationship between bodies and their environments through construction, water infrastructure, and agriculture. However, one-size-fits-all manufacturing solutions often overlook local issues, such as resource constraints and interaction with environmental factors.
A case in point is the sewage filtration infrastructure at Ala Wai Canal in my hometown of Honolulu, Hawaii. The Ala Wai Canal, an artificial wetland, drains the island’s watersheds and discharges processed sewage into the Pacific Ocean. Unfortunately, the highly variable tropical rainfall frequently exceeds the capacity of the 70-year-old filtration system, leading to sewage overflows and algal blooms that harm the health of fish and canoe rowers. To address this issue, I recruited classmates and formed a team to enter the Global Biomimicry Design Challenge in the summer of 2020. We drew inspiration from the way microbes filter nutrients from water and the sediment-packing structures found in wetlands. As the only on-site member, I collected water samples and tested the filter designs from my remote teammates. We presented our modular filter pitch to neighborhood stakeholders, who echoed the importance of gathering on-site observations of practical constraints when translating scientific findings into design decisions.
To get first-hand experience in diverse biomaterial applications, I worked at Blackberry Ridge, an off-grid ecological construction site in Vermont, for my second summer. As the first cohort of stewards, I co-hosted 7-weekend workshops for diverse participants, teaching sustainable construction techniques like building solar-powered cabins and composting toilets. During a drainage system building session, seasoned urban construction participants expressed difficulty in containing the PVC plastic scrapes from the pond. What better protocol would mitigate contamination when transitioning from a city to a forest setting? How can we work within the confines of resource scarcity in remote locations?
I carried these questions with me to Buenos Aires in my final year. I designed and taught a sustainable building materials and biomaterials class and wanted to learn from practitioners. So I approached Anita Broccoli, an urban farm collective that started as guerrilla gardening on sidewalks. After overcoming language and cultural barriers, I co-led a team of natural and social science teammates to attend coordination meetings with farm leaders. Carlos, a local organizer, asked us to address the issue of trash affecting the soil. We conducted participatory observations, mapping waste profiles in their parking lot transformed into an open cantina and garden. We prototyped an upcycling device for the common trash based on community feedback. Beyond design contribution, working alongside Carlos and mending the infertile soil with rich microbes and insect life showed me that knowledge about living matter exists outside academia. Inspired by Carlos’s favorite Roosevelt quote, “Do what you can, with what you’ve got, where you are,” I learned ingenious ways of meeting community needs without relying on preconceived theories.
Morphogenesis – the process by which organisms develop shape and structure through self-organization, adapting to their environment as shaped by evolution – informs my tissue development research and my design principles for environmentally responsive building materials and waste cycles. As D’Arcy Thompson (1942) noted, morphogenesis is the generation of form, where single material units can self-organize by mediating their physical properties with the external environment, leading to unified fabrication processes that consider both material properties and surroundings. I aim to develop this biomaterial framework as an alternative to one-size-fits-all manufacturing.
For example, research on microbial growth and behavior in granular systems applies to cement healing and construction materials. Researchers like Dr. Chelsea Heveran at Montana State utilize microbial metabolisms, such as biomineralization, to enable cement healing while keeping microbial components alive. With my construction and materials modeling background, I hope to create biophysically informed computational design tools for sustainable materials that possess natural advantages like adaptation, self-repair, and environmental responsiveness, enabling locally adaptable climate resilience solutions for communities.