Eleni Katifori

Eleni Katifori is an Associate Professor and Undergraduate Affairs Chair in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Arts & Sciences. She previously served as an Assistant Professor at Penn (2015-2020), was a Visiting Professor at Université Paris Diderot (2017), led an independent research group at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization (2012-2014), and was a Fellow at Rockefeller University's Center for Physics and Biology (2008-2012).

Her educational background includes a Ph.D. in Physics from Harvard University (2008) and a B.S. from the University of Athens, Greece (2002). These foundational experiences established her interdisciplinary approach bridging physics and biology.

Dr. Katifori's research focuses on the theoretical physics of biological transport networks, examining how systems like plant vasculature and animal circulatory systems achieve optimal functionality through evolutionary pressures. Her work investigates the topological properties of these networks, their resilience to damage, and the physical principles governing their development. She employs mathematical modeling to understand how hierarchical structures in biological flow systems balance competing demands of cost, efficiency, and robustness. Her approach integrates concepts from soft matter physics, network theory, and biophysics to uncover universal principles applicable across biological scales.

Analysis of her publication record reveals a consistent focus on the mathematical foundations of biological flow networks, with increasing sophistication in topological analysis methods. Her work demonstrates how network architecture determines functional capabilities and resilience properties, with significant contributions to understanding hierarchical organization in biological systems and the physical constraints shaping network evolution.

• Simons Investigators in the Mathematical Modeling of Living Systems (2018)
• NSF Career Award (2016)
• Burroughs Wellcome Career Award at the Scientific Interface (2011)
• 2021 APS Early Career Award in Soft Matter Research
• APS DSOFT Early Career Award
• Member at Large, APS Topical Group on Soft Matter (2018-2021)

Dr. Katifori actively mentors students and postdoctoral researchers, with several notable advisees including Henrik Ronellenfitsch, Sean Fancher, and Yongtian Luo. Her research is supported by multiple prestigious grants, including her Simons Investigator award which provides sustained research funding for mathematical modeling of living systems. She has established a productive research group that combines theoretical physics with biological applications, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration across physics, biology, and mathematics.

Her laboratory focuses on developing mathematical frameworks to analyze biological transport networks, with particular emphasis on leaf venation patterns, vascular systems, and the physical principles underlying their evolution and function. The group employs computational modeling, topological analysis, and theoretical physics approaches to uncover fundamental principles governing biological flow systems.