Martin Lenz

Martin Lenz is a Senior CNRS Researcher (DR2) at Université Paris-Saclay and LPTMS, with visiting professorships at LMU Munich (2022-2023) and MIT (2018). He holds a Ph.D. from Université Pierre et Marie Curie (2009) and a Habilitation from Université Paris-Sud (2015). His research focuses on theoretical biophysics, including cytoskeletal mechanics, membrane dynamics, and self-assembly in soft matter. Key affiliations include collaborations with Institut Curie, ESPCI Paris, and international institutions.

Research interests encompass geometric frustration in self-assembly, active matter, and cell mechanics. Notable contributions include work on dynamin-mediated membrane fission and actomyosin contractility. Awards include ERC Consolidator and Starting Grants, and the Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel Award.

Teaching spans advanced biophysics and statistical physics courses at multiple Paris-area universities. Supervises a dynamic team of PhD and postdoc researchers, with active grants from ERC and the Bettencourt Foundation. Current projects explore frustrated self-assembly and nonlinear elasticity in biological systems.