Kyriacos Leptos

Kyriacos Leptos is a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Cambridge, affiliated with the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) within the Faculty of Mathematics. He is part of the Biological Physics research group led by Professor Raymond Goldstein. His work focuses on the dynamics of microorganism movement, particularly flagellar behavior, phototaxis, and fluid dynamics. Leptos holds a PhD in Genetics from Harvard Medical School (2000–2007) and a B.A. in Biological Sciences from Cornell University (1995–1999).

His research interests span microbial biophysics, collective behavior in suspensions of microorganisms, and the evolutionary mechanisms underlying motility. Key areas include the synchronization of flagellar motion, environmental responses (e.g., phototaxis, aerotaxis), and the fluid dynamics of microorganism swarms. Leptos has contributed to advancements in tracking technologies and proteomic analysis tools, such as the PEPPeR platform and MapQuant software.

His publications address topics like phototactic steering in Chlamydomonas, vortex formation in algal suspensions, and diurnal variations in microalgal motility. While no scientific awards are explicitly listed, his work has been featured in high-impact journals such as Physical Review Letters and Molecular Biology and Evolution.

Leptos collaborates on projects involving interdisciplinary teams and has advised on grants related to biological physics and fluid dynamics. His lab’s current focus includes understanding the biophysical principles governing microbial navigation and the evolutionary transitions in motility across species.