Franziska Matthäus

Prof. Franziska Matthäus is a Professor at Goethe University Frankfurt and a Fellow at the Frankfurt Institute for Advanced Studies (FIAS). Her research focuses on mathematical modeling of spatiotemporal processes in biological systems, particularly cell motility, cancer migration, and developmental biology. She leads a multidisciplinary group collaborating with experimental partners to integrate data analysis, agent-based models, and partial differential equations (PDEs) into theoretical frameworks. Notable contributions include the 2020 book The Art of Theoretical Biology, which showcases visually striking scientific images from biological research, and the development of QuickPIV software for 3D particle image velocimetry.

Education: PhD in Biophysics (University of Warsaw, 2005), postdoctoral work at Heidelberg University, and a junior professorship at the University of Würzburg before joining FIAS in 2016. She currently holds the Giersch Endowed Professorship.

Research Interests: Agent-based modeling of collective cell behavior, reaction-diffusion systems in developmental patterning, and force inference in epithelial tissues. Her work bridges computational methods with experimental data, addressing questions in organoid morphogenesis, cancer metastasis, and embryonic development.

Teaching: Offers courses in theoretical biology and bioinformatics, including modules on data analysis, mathematical modeling, and programming for biological systems. Courses are taught in German and English.

Labs/Teams: Active in FIAS's Life and Neurosciences group, focusing on multiscale analyses of biological systems. Collaborates with institutions globally, including the University of Leeds and the University of Alberta.