Aleksandra WALCZAK

Aleksandra Walczak is a Researcher (CNRS Directrice de Recherche) at the Laboratoire de Physique de l’ENS (LPENS) at École Normale Supérieure in Paris, France. She leads the Statistical Biophysics group, focusing on theoretical and computational approaches to biological systems. Her work bridges physics and biology, addressing challenges in cellular processes, immune systems, and evolutionary dynamics.

Research Interests: Walczak’s research explores the interplay between biological function and physical principles. Key areas include gene regulatory networks, collective behavior in biological systems (e.g., immune responses), and population genetics. She develops models to understand how interactions between molecular components influence phenotypes and how immune systems encode complex functions using probabilistic frameworks. Recent projects include studying antigenic escape in viral populations and applying machine learning to immune repertoire analysis.

Affiliations & Collaborations: She co-leads the GDRI network on Evolution, Regulation, and Signaling, fostering international collaboration. Her work is supported by the Fondation Bettencourt Schueller and involves interdisciplinary initiatives like the Paris Biological Physics Community Day.

Education & Career: Walczak earned her PhD in Physics from UC San Diego (2007) and an HDR (Habilitation) from ENS Paris (2012). She held postdoctoral positions at Princeton University and the Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. As a CNRS researcher since 2010, she has contributed to over 100 publications, advancing our understanding of biological systems through physics-based models.