Christian Peco

Christian Peco is an Associate Professor in the Department of Engineering Science and Mechanics at Pennsylvania State University, leading the CBioSaiL research group. His work focuses on computational mechanics, machine learning, and their applications in biomimetic materials and swarm robotics. He holds a Ph.D. in Computational Mechanics from Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya - BarcelonaTech (UPC-BarcelonaTech), alongside B.S. and M.S. degrees in Civil Engineering from the same institution.

Research interests include modeling biological networks (e.g., slime molds), developing AI for drone swarms, and multiscale computing in materials science. He has held roles such as Postdoctoral Research Associate at Duke University’s Information Initiative (iiD), Research Collaborator at Idaho National Lab, and Research Scientist at UPC-BarcelonaTech’s LaCàN group.

In 2024, Peco received the NSF CAREER Award for his project on transferring biological network principles to drone swarm algorithms. His lab explores interdisciplinary approaches, blending mechanics, AI, and biological systems to address challenges in robotics and materials engineering.