Andrea Liu

Andrea Liu is the Hepburn Professor of Physics at the University of Pennsylvania, leading the Department of Physics and Astronomy. As Director of the Penn Center for Soft and Living Matter, she bridges physics, biology, and materials science. She joined Penn in 2004 after faculty roles at UCLA (1994-2004) and postdoctoral research at Exxon and UCSB. Her research focuses on theoretical studies of soft and living matter, particularly jamming transitions, glass physics, and emergent phenomena in biological systems. She pioneers the application of machine learning to physical systems, designing self-learning materials and circuits.

Education

• Ph.D., Cornell University (1989)
• B.A., University of California, Berkeley (1984)

Research Interests

• Soft matter: Glass transition, jamming, and plasticity in disordered solids
• Living matter: Collective behavior in tissues, fluidization mechanisms, and biopolymer networks
• Machine learning: Physical implementations, energy-efficient circuits, and adaptive systems

Her work combines analytical theory and computation to explain how complex systems achieve functionality through structural and dynamical principles.

Publications TrendsRecent work emphasizes physical learning networks, clogging dynamics in granular systems, and biophysical tissue mechanics. Key themes include emergent learning in analog systems, topology-driven material design, and interdisciplinary approaches to biological and engineering challenges.

Awards

• 2025 American Physical Society Leo P. Kadanoff Prize
• 2021-2025 Simons Investigator in Theoretical Physics
• Member, National Academy of Sciences (2017)

Labs & TeamsHer research group collaborates on the Center for Soft and Living Matter, advancing theoretical frameworks for adaptive materials and biological systems. Ongoing initiatives focus on machine learning-informed materials design and experimental validation of theoretical models.