Randall Kamien

Randall D. Kamien is the Vicki and William Abrams Professor in the Natural Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania's Department of Physics and Astronomy, part of the School of Arts & Sciences. He holds a PhD from Harvard University (1992) and B.S./M.S. from the California Institute of Technology (1988). His research focuses on soft condensed matter theory, particularly materials geometry and topological defects, with applications to liquid crystals, foams, and biological physics.

Key research areas include geometric principles in soft matter organization, topological defects in smectics and liquid crystals, and applications of algebraic topology. He has pioneered studies on kirigami metamaterials and knitted fabric modeling. His work is supported by grants from the Simons Foundation, NSF, and others. Notable achievements include the Simons Investigator award (2013) and over 150 peer-reviewed publications.

Dr. Kamien has mentored numerous graduate students and postdoctoral researchers, many of whom now hold academic or industry positions. His lab collaborates on projects ranging from nanoparticle assembly in liquid crystals to geometric modeling of biological systems. Current group members include Lauren Niu (Senior Research Scientist) and Paul Severino (PhD student).

Publications highlight interdisciplinary approaches, blending theory with experimental insights. Recent work explores defects in smectic films, geometric patterns in cholesteric droplets, and topological principles in knotted materials. The lab also investigates applications like self-assembled microstructures and adaptive mechanical systems.