Chase Broedersz

Prof. Dr. Chase Broedersz is a tenured W2 Professor of Theoretical Physics – Statistical and Biological Physics at Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (LMU Munich) since 2015. He also holds a secondary affiliation as Associate Professor at VU Amsterdam since 2020. He is a member of the Young College of the Bavarian Academy of Science since 2017.

Education

• Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics, VU Amsterdam (2011)
• MSc. in Physics, VU Amsterdam (2007)
• BSc. in Physics and Astronomy, VU Amsterdam (2005)

Research Interests

Prof. Broedersz leads a research program at the intersection of statistical physics and biological physics, with a focus on:

• Soft Matter Physics: mechanics of biopolymer networks, semiflexible filaments, and composite materials
• Active Matter: non-equilibrium dynamics in living systems, motor-driven networks, and active gels
• Cell Mechanics: confined cell migration, mechanosensing, and force transmission in tissues
• Chromosome Organization: bacterial chromosome structure, protein-DNA interactions, and SMC condensins

His work combines theoretical modeling, computational simulations, and experimental collaborations to uncover the physical principles governing complex biological systems.

Publication Trends

Prof. Broedersz has authored over 50 peer-reviewed publications since 2010. His recent work (2019–2025) emphasizes:

• Cell migration in confined and soft environments, with studies in Nature Physics and PNAS
• Non-equilibrium dynamics in active biological systems, including broken detailed balance and emergent contractility
• Machine learning approaches to infer stochastic dynamics in biological data, published in Nature Communications and Physical Review Letters
• Chromosomal organization in bacteria, combining polymer physics with genomic data

Labs and Teams

He leads the Statistical and Biological Physics Group at LMU Munich, affiliated with the Arnold Sommerfeld Center for Theoretical Physics (ASC). The group collaborates closely with experimental teams at LMU, Princeton, and other institutions, focusing on interdisciplinary biophysics research.

Teaching

Prof. Broedersz has taught advanced courses including:

• Advanced Statistical Physics
• Soft Matter Physics
• Stochastic Processes in Physics and Biology