Christoph Haselwandter

Christoph A. Haselwandter is Professor of Physics and Astronomy and Quantitative and Computational Biology at the University of Southern California. His research in biological matter theory develops simple physical models to explain the emergence of functional structures in biology, particularly cell membranes. Key contributions include:

• Mechanics of mechanosensitive ion channels (Piezo) and their membrane footprints
• Self-assembly principles governing synaptic receptor domains and emerin nanodomains
• Elastic energy landscapes of clathrin lattices and caveolae
• Stochastic models for reaction-diffusion patterning in membranes
• Renormalization methods for nonequilibrium lattice systems

His work combines theoretical physics with quantitative experimental collaborations using techniques like cryoelectron microscopy, high-speed atomic force microscopy, and superresolution imaging.