Ana-Suncana Smith

Prof. Dr. Ana-Suncana Smith is a Professor at the Institute of Theoretical Physics within the Department of Physics at Friedrich Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany. She leads the PULS Group (Physics Underlying Life Sciences), established in 2010 and embedded in FAU's Department of Physics and Excellence Cluster Engineering of Advanced Materials. Since 2014, she has maintained a dual affiliation with the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb, Croatia, where her team operates within the Group of Theoretical Chemistry under the Department for Physical Chemistry, supported by European Research Council funding.

Her research spans interdisciplinary biophysics with focus areas including:

• Mechanobiology of cellular and tissue development
• Molecular transport in confined biological systems
• Membrane biomechanics and receptor clustering dynamics
• Nanoscale organization in immune cell activation
• Soft matter physics applied to biological interfaces

Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2024-2025) reveals a consistent emphasis on nanoscale mechanical phenomena in biological systems, particularly receptor clustering effects in T/NK cell activation, anomalous diffusion in confined environments, and membrane mechanics. Her work integrates theoretical modeling with experimental validation across physics, chemistry, and biology disciplines.

Scientific recognition includes:

• European Research Council Grant support for knowledge transfer initiatives
• Leadership in FAU's Excellence Cluster Engineering of Advanced Materials
• Establishment of cross-border research infrastructure between Germany and Croatia

Prof. Smith directs a diverse international research team within the PULS Group, fostering collaboration between physicists, chemists, and biologists. Her group maintains active research laboratories in Erlangen (Cauerstraße 3) and Zagreb (Bijenička cesta 54), with ongoing projects examining the physics of tissue development, complex transport phenomena, biological membranes, and molecular modeling. Current work focuses on mechanosensitivity in epithelial systems, nanoscale immune activation mechanisms, and transport in confined biological environments.