Mattia Serra

Mattia Serra is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Physics at the University of California, San Diego. He holds a Ph.D. from ETH Zurich and specializes in data-driven methods and mathematical modeling for studying complex biological and physical systems. His research focuses on nonlinear dynamics, active matter, fluid dynamics, and embryonic development, with applications ranging from search-and-rescue optimization to morphogenesis control.

Education:

• Ph.D., ETH Zurich

Research Interests:
Serra develops frameworks to analyze multi-scale chaotic systems, particularly in embryonic development (e.g., chick gastrulation) and fluid dynamics. His work integrates experimental data with computational models to uncover causal mechanisms and predict system behavior. Key areas include:

• Self-organization in developmental biology
• Control of morphogenesis and active matter
• Identification of coherent structures in fluid flows

His TRAPs (Transient Attracting Profiles) framework aids in predicting material transport in oceanic and atmospheric flows.

Awards & Honors:

• 2024: NSF CAREER Award
• 2024: HFSP Early Career Research Award
• 2023: Hellman Fellowship in Physics
• 2019: Swiss National Science Foundation Fellowship
• 2018: Schmidt Science Fellowship
• 2017: ETH Medal Award (outstanding doctoral thesis)

Advising & Grants:
Serra advises PhD students including Alex (NIH QBio fellow) and Sreejith (Lindau Nobel Laureate meeting participant). He leads the UC Active Matter Hub, a UC-wide initiative collaborating with UC Merced and UCSB. His research is supported by NSF, HFSP, and Hellman grants.

Labs & Teams:
His lab at UCSD integrates physics, biology, and engineering to study morphodynamics and active systems. Collaborations include projects with UCL and Harvard's Mahadevan lab on embryonic mechanics.