Faculty

Dr. Jeff Urbach: Click here for departmental page.

Dr. William Rosoff: Axon guidance, growth cone dynamics and interactions with 3-D fibrillar
environments.

Dr. Ryan MacAllister: Develops 3D imaging and biophysical experiment strategies. Studies cancer cell force generation and invasion in 3D collagen, Giardia lamblia attachment, and other biological topics.

PostDoctoral Fellows

Dr. Beatriz Burrola Gabilondo: Studies the mechanics of composite hydrogels, formed by a network of polymerized actin and microtubules.

Graduate Students

Pramukta Kumar, Justin Stimatze: We employ dynamic imaging methods such as hybrid confocal/rheometry and simulation methods such as molecular dynamics to study polymer/fiber nanocomposite materials. We quantify and analyze nanocomposite network response in shear flow to determine the connections between microstructure and macroscropic properties. Our goal is to better understand the dynamic processes that control the network structure and the principles that determine mechanical and electrical properties in complex fiber networks. Insights from this work will enable improved control over material characteristics such as rigidity, toughness, or electrical conductivity during manufacturing processes.

Rich Arevalo: Structural dynamics of soft biopolymer networks.

Michael Smirnov: The influence of confinement and structural topography on neuronal outgrowth and interaction with guidance cues.

Jaime Polackwich