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Rebecca Schulman is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the Whiting School of Engineering, Johns Hopkins University. She holds secondary appointments in Chemistry and Computer Science and is affiliated with multiple interdisciplinary institutes, including the Institute for NanoBioTechnology, the Hopkins Extreme Materials Institute, the Chemistry-Biology Interface Program, the Center for Cell Dynamics, and the Laboratory for Computational Sensing and Robotics. She currently co-directs the Passport to Future Technology Leadership program for PhD students. Research Interests: Schulman's research lies at the intersection of DNA nanotechnology, synthetic biology, and smart materials. Her group develops intelligent, adaptive biomolecular materials and nanostructures by integrating concepts from materials science, biochemistry, circuit design, and soft matter physics. The team focuses on engineering dynamic self-assembly processes using DNA to create reconfigurable materials, molecular circuits, and autonomous soft micro-robots. Key themes include self-healing nanostructures, feedback-regulated crystallization, programmable hydrogels, and synthetic genetic networks for materials control. Publication Trends: Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on using DNA-based chemical reaction networks to program spatial and temporal behavior in materials. The work spans from fundamental mechanisms like catalytic polymerization and crystal growth regulation to applications in soft robotics, self-wiring circuits, and synthetic pattern formation. The research is highly interdisciplinary, combining synthetic biology with materials engineering to achieve life-like functionalities in non-living systems. Scientific Awards: AIMBE Fellowship Award Vannevar Bush Faculty Fellowship Award Hartwell Individual Biomolecular Research Award President’s Early Career Award in Science and Engineering (PECASE) DARPA Young Faculty Award DARPA Directors Fellowship NSF CAREER Award Turing Scholar Award DOE Early Career Award Advising and Grants: Schulman mentors graduate students and leads a vibrant research group focused on next-generation biomolecular engineering. Her work is supported by major federal grants, including the NSF CAREER, DOE Early Career, DARPA, and the Vannevar Bush Fellowship—a prestigious Department of Defense award for basic research. She is actively involved in training future leaders through programs like the Passport to Future Technology Leadership. Labs and Teams: The Schulman Lab at Johns Hopkins is a multidisciplinary team working on DNA-powered materials and molecular programming. The lab is embedded within several collaborative centers, enabling strong cross-departmental and cross-institutional research. Their work combines experimental biochemistry with theoretical modeling to design and implement complex molecular systems.

• DNA Self-Assembly
• Smart Biomaterials
• Synthetic Biology
• +7 more

James Dixon is a Professor and Director of Ecological Psychology at the University of Connecticut, where he leads the Department of Psychological Sciences and directs the Center for the Ecological Study of Perception & Action (CESPA). CESPA fosters interdisciplinary research across optics, acoustics, movement science, and nonlinear dynamics, establishing UConn as a pioneer in ecological psychology. Research Focus Dr. Dixon investigates the self-organizing principles underlying perception, action, and cognition, with emphasis on thermodynamic foundations of behavior. His work bridges psychology, physics, and complex systems theory: Self-organization in biological and non-living dissipative systems Fractal dynamics in cognitive processes Inter-entity coordination across scales End-directed evolution in complex systems Publication Trends His publications (2009-2016) converge on emergent phenomena in complex systems, with recurring themes of self-organization, entropy, and coordination dynamics. Recent work emphasizes thermodynamic principles in behavioral emergence, while earlier studies explore representational change and insight through nonlinear models. Leadership & Academic Environment As CESPA Director, he oversees collaborative research spanning 10+ specialties. The center’s ethos integrates ecological principles with physics and development, maintaining UConn’s legacy in perception-action science since its founding by J.J. Gibson.

• Self-organization in perception, action, and cognition
• Thermodynamic origins of behavior
• Complex behavior in non-living dissipative systems
• +1 more

Wolfgang Losert is a **Professor of Physics** and Interim Associate Dean for Research in the College of Computer, Mathematical, and Natural Sciences at the University of Maryland. He is also Co-Director of the UMD-NCI Partnership for Integrative Cancer Research and affiliated with the Institute for Physical Science and Technology (IPST). His research bridges physics, biology, and data science, focusing on the quantitative analysis of living systems, including cell migration, neural networks, and granular materials. Losert’s work emphasizes using physical signals (light, EM fields, texture) to control cell behavior, particularly in epithelial and neural systems. He has pioneered methods like **excitable systems theory** to study cellular sensing and response, with applications in cancer research, neurobiology, and environmental health. Key collaborations include projects on astrocyte dynamics, actin wave signaling, and the impact of nanotopography on cell behavior. His lab integrates advanced microscopy, machine learning, and computational modeling. Notably, he contributed to founding the APS Group on Data Science (GDS) and received an APS Innovation Award for developing the Data Science Education Community of Practice (DSECOP). His interdisciplinary approach addresses challenges in biophysics, materials science, and systems biology. **Awards**: APS Innovation Award (2021). **Labs**: Biodynamics Lab, Optics Lab. **Outreach**: Maryland Day demonstrations on cell tracking and granular physics.

• Biophysics
• Data Science in Physics
• Neuroscience
• +6 more

Nigel Goldenfeld is the Chancellor's Distinguished Professor in Physics at UC San Diego, specializing in condensed matter theory, living systems theory, and non-equilibrium statistical physics. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Cambridge and previously held endowed positions at the University of Illinois. He directs the Biocomplexity Group and co-founded NumeriX, a financial software company. His research spans multiple domains: Condensed matter theory and phase transitions Hydrodynamics and turbulence phenomena Astrobiology and universal biology principles Epidemic modeling and COVID-19 dynamics Active matter and nonequilibrium systems Recent publications focus on turbulence dynamics, nonequilibrium statistical mechanics, and biological physics. His work shows strong emphasis on scaling behaviors, emergent phenomena, and interdisciplinary approaches combining physics with biological systems. Scientific Awards: Leo P. Kadanoff Prize (APS) National Academy of Sciences Member American Academy of Arts and Sciences Fellow Sloan Foundation Fellowship University Scholar of Illinois He has led significant projects including the NASA Astrobiology Institute (2013-2019) and mentors students through the Biocomplexity Group. Current work explores fundamental aspects of turbulence and biological organization using advanced computational and theoretical frameworks.

• Condensed Matter Theory
• Living Systems Theory
• Hydrodynamics
• +4 more

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.

• Biophysics
• Cellular Mechanics
• Active Matter
• +4 more

J Dixon serves as Professor and Director within the Psychology Department at the University of Connecticut, focusing on complex systems research across multiple domains of human and non-human behavior. His research program investigates: Self-organization principles in perception, action, and cognition Thermodynamic foundations of behavioral emergence Complex dynamics in non-living dissipative systems Advanced fractal and multifractal analytical techniques He directs the Center for the Ecological Study of Perception and Action (CESPA) laboratory, with research infrastructure accessible through the official lab portal. Professional recognition includes sustained funding for complex systems research and leadership in interdisciplinary behavioral science initiatives. Academic mentorship spans doctoral supervision and collaborative projects with postdoctoral researchers in systems psychology and nonlinear dynamics. Laboratory operations integrate computational modeling with empirical behavioral studies across diverse experimental paradigms.

• Self-organization in perception, action, and cognition
• Thermodynamic origins of behavior
• Complex behavior in non-living dissipative systems
• +1 more