About
Michael P. Murrell is an Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Physics at Yale University, affiliated with the Systems Biology Institute and the Physical Engineering and Biology (PEB) Program. His research focuses on understanding cellular mechanics through biomimetic systems and soft matter physics, particularly exploring how mechanical principles govern cell division, migration, and tissue behavior. He holds a PhD from MIT (2009) and leads the Laboratory of Living Matter, which investigates mechanical force generation in living cells and develops non-living models to replicate cellular mechanics. The lab’s work spans experimental biophysics, synthetic biology, and molecular dynamics simulations to study cytoskeletal energy storage and active matter systems.
Education: PhD in Biomedical Engineering (2009, MIT).
Research Interests: Stochastic non-equilibrium thermodynamics, experimental biological de novo assembly, mechanics of active interfaces, and active wetting of living cells. The lab designs simplified experimental models to reproduce complex cellular behaviors, combining bottom-up approaches with theoretical frameworks from physics. Recent projects include studying memory storage in actin networks and the mechanical energy cost of cell division.
Lab Activities and Collaborations: The lab collaborates across disciplines, integrating tools from soft matter physics and synthetic biology. Notable projects include investigating membrane-to-cortex interactions, actomyosin contractility in confined spaces, and the role of TSP2-Rac1-WAVE2 axis in diabetic cell dysfunction. The lab actively recruits PhD students and postdocs.
Labs/Teams: Laboratory of Living Matter at Yale University, part of the Systems Biology Institute and interdisciplinary programs in PEB and MDCB.
