Professor Annela M Seddon is an academic at the University of Bristol, affiliated with the School of Physics Infection and Immunity . She holds the title of Professor of Physics and serves as the Associate Pro Vice Chancellor (Research & Innovation) in the Science and Engineering faculty. Her research bridges physics, chemistry, and biology.
Professor Yuka Tabe of the Department of Physics, Faculty of Science and Engineering at Waseda University, is a leading researcher in Biophysics and Soft Matter Physics . Her work focuses on Liquid Crystals , Langmuir Monolayers , and Thermomechanical Coupling in chiral systems. Key affiliations: Waseda University (2012–present) Professional memberships: The Physical Society of Japan The Japanese Liquid Crystal Society Her research interests span: Cholesteric liquid crystal dynamics under thermal gradients Induced smectic phase formation in binary mixtures Photo-polymerization in 2D systems Defect manipulation in liquid crystal colloids Molecular diffusion in ordered soft materials Nanoscale patterning via micelle templating Recent publications (2016–2021) demonstrate: Heat-driven rotation of cholesteric droplets (Lehmann effect) Stabilization of double-twisted structures via elastic energy competition Photochemical control of topological defects in LC emulsions Gas permeation studies in smectic films Charge-transfer-induced smectic phase ordering Molecular dynamics simulations of 2D diffusion
H.R. Vutukuri is a tenured Assistant Professor at the University of Twente, leading the Active Soft Matter Lab within the Faculty of Science and Technology (TNW). He is affiliated with the Bioengineering Technologies (TNW-BET) department and the Nanobiophysics (TNW-BET-NBP) research group, as well as the MESA+ Institute. Dr. Vutukuri's research focuses on developing novel biomimetic models to explore the dynamics of systems far from equilibrium. His work bridges physics, biology, and engineering to deepen our understanding of active matter systems. Specifically, his lab investigates: Controlling materials by powering them from within, uncovering how order can emerge from disorder Lipid membrane mechanics, understanding how cell membranes respond to foreign bodies and highly localized forces The transport of artificial microswimmers in complex fluids, leveraging principles of soft matter science His recent publications reveal a strong focus on active matter systems, particularly exploring the interactions between artificial microswimmers and lipid membranes. His work combines experimental approaches with theoretical modeling to understand non-equilibrium phenomena in soft matter systems. A recurring theme is the development of light-responsive systems that can switch between different states, allowing for precise control over material properties and behaviors, with significant implications for both fundamental science and potential applications in biomimetic materials. Dr. Vutukuri has received significant recognition for his research, including: ERC Consolidator Grant 2024 (2 M€) from ERC Research NWO Open Competition Domain Science – M1 grant (March 2023) NWO Open Competition Domain Science – XS grant (December 2023) As the leader of the Active Soft Matter Lab, Dr. Vutukuri directs research that combines experimental physics with biological applications. His lab develops artificial microswimmers and active lipid vesicles to create minimal models for studying complex biological systems. The lab's work has implications for understanding cellular processes and developing new materials with life-like functionalities. With the recent ERC Consolidator Grant, the lab is expanding its research into synthetic active materials with life-like functionalities, with plans to open new PhD and Postdoc positions.
Dr. Gregory J Exarhos serves as a Lab Fellow and Associate Director within the Chemical and Materials Sciences Division at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), where he leads the Materials Sciences group. He also holds an Adjunct Professor position in Physics at Washington State University (WSU) in Pullman, WA, and serves on the Board of Visitors for the College of Sciences and Engineering at WSU. Dr. Exarhos earned his Ph.D. in Physical Chemistry from Brown University and his A.B. in Chemistry, magna cum laude (with a Physics minor), from Lawrence University. His academic background forms the foundation for his extensive research career in advanced materials science. Dr. Exarhos specializes in developing innovative approaches for the deposition and modification of dielectric films, with particular expertise in structure/property relationships in transparent conducting oxides. His research encompasses inorganic polymer design, synthesis, and characterization, as well as the preparation of molecularly architectured nanocomposite materials. His pioneering materials processing approaches have been internationally recognized and have opened new avenues in optical coatings, nano-architectured materials, multifunctional ceramics, and hybrid polymer composites. Analysis of Dr. Exarhos's recent publications reveals a strong focus on advanced materials for energy applications, particularly battery technologies (lithium-sulfur and sodium-ion systems), novel nanocomposites, and optical materials. His research demonstrates expertise in characterization techniques including NMR spectroscopy and in situ Raman studies, with applications spanning energy storage, optical coatings, and porous materials. R&D100 award (1992) Federal Laboratory Consortium award (1993) R.F. Bunshah Award from Advanced Surface Engineering Division, AVS (2002) Eight patents in ceramic oxide powders and thin film technology Fellow of American Vacuum Society Fellow of American Ceramic Society Fellow of American Association for the Advancement of Science Dr. Exarhos has served in numerous leadership roles including President of the American Vacuum Society (2008-2010), Chair of the Long-Range Planning Committee for AVS, and service on the AVS Board of Directors. He has been instrumental in scientific community development, launching the BIOINTERPHASES journal for AVS and serving as North American Editor for the journal VACUUM. At PNNL, he coordinates fundamental materials sciences projects funded through the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science, Basic Energy Sciences, Division of Materials Sciences and Engineering. As Laboratory Coordinator for DOE-funded materials science projects, Dr. Exarhos leads research programs dealing with defects in TCO films, growth of hierarchically ordered composite materials, in situ Raman studies of materials under extreme conditions, nonlinear optical materials, and studies of pulsed laser-solid interactions. His work bridges fundamental science with practical applications, particularly in energy-related technologies.
Luca Costa is a CNRS Research Scientist at the Centre de Biochimie Structurale (Montpellier, France), specializing in nanoscale biophysics. His research develops novel atomic force microscopy (AFM) methodologies to study biological membranes, soft matter interfaces, and molecular assemblies. With expertise spanning instrumentation physics, biochemistry, and cell biology, he pioneers correlative imaging techniques combining AFM with synchrotron X-ray methods and fluorescence microscopy. His core research investigates: Nanomechanics of lipid bilayers and cellular membranes Real-time dynamics at liquid-liquid interfaces Phase separation in biomolecular condensates Instrumental development for high-resolution in situ imaging Recent publications emphasize membrane remodeling, nuclear pore mechanics, and advanced AFM-XRF integration, with consistent focus on quantitative nanoscale biophysics. Awards include the XFEL Young Scientist Bursary (2015). Major grants support his work: ANR SLAM-AFM (2025-2027): Synchrotron-compatible AFM development ANR DECIDE/PROSPERO (2022-2025): Membrane dynamics studies EU MagCell (2020-2021): Magnetic nanoparticle applications He leads the Integrative Biophysics of Membranes lab, developing specialized AFM platforms for biological interfaces.
Peter Keim is a Professor and Group Leader in Experimental Statistical Physics at the Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, with a representative professorship at Heinrich-Heine-University of Düsseldorf since spring 2024. His research focuses on structure formation, self-organization, and spontaneous symmetry breaking in low-dimensional systems, particularly using colloidal ensembles to study fundamental phenomena in statistical physics. Dr. Keim completed his physics studies in Frankfurt/Main and Konstanz, earning his doctorate in 2005. He conducted postdoctoral research at Farl-Franzens University in Graz, Austria with a stipend from the German Research Foundation. He returned to Lake Constance to lead a junior research group, completed his habilitation and venia legendi in experimental physics in 2015, and was accepted into the prestigious Heisenberg program of the German Research Foundation in 2021. Keim's research primarily investigates two-dimensional physical systems, with emphasis on the KTHNY theory of 2D melting, the Kibble-Zurek mechanism for defect formation during rapid cooling, and Mermin-Wagner fluctuations in low-dimensional systems. His experimental work with colloidal monolayers has provided crucial evidence supporting theoretical predictions, including work highlighted by Nobel laureate Michael Kosterlitz in his Nobel Lecture. His approach bridges fundamental statistical physics with experimental validation in soft matter systems. His publication record demonstrates consistent contributions to understanding phase transitions, symmetry breaking, and glass formation in two-dimensional systems. Recent work extends into photonic structures, tetratic phases, and ultrafast symmetry breaking phenomena, showing the evolution of his research from fundamental 2D melting studies toward broader applications in amorphous and structured materials. Gustav-Hertz Prize of the German Physical Society (2016) for investigation of phase transitions far from thermal equilibrium Heisenberg Fellow of the German Research Foundation (2021) Keim has mentored numerous doctoral students and postdoctoral researchers who have become independent scientists in their fields. His research has been consistently supported by the German Research Foundation, culminating in his Heisenberg Fellowship. His experimental group maintains specialized equipment for studying colloidal systems under controlled conditions, including magnetic field manipulation and high-resolution microscopy capabilities for observing particle dynamics at the microscopic level.
Christian Bahr is a Professor in the Faculty of Physics at Georg-August-University Göttingen, where he specializes in soft matter physics with a particular focus on liquid crystals and their multifaceted applications. His research spans several key areas of liquid crystal physics: Liquid crystal-aqueous surfactant systems and interfacial instabilities Structure formation and dynamics in molecularly thin smectic liquid crystal films Self-organization phenomena at liquid crystal interfaces Nematic liquid crystals and colloids in microfluidic environments Professor Bahr has supervised multiple doctoral students whose research has significantly contributed to advancing liquid crystal science and its practical applications in optics and materials engineering. His academic mentorship has produced important work examining micellar solubilization of liquid crystals, surface ordering phenomena, and the behavior of liquid crystals under microfluidic confinement, demonstrating the breadth and impact of his research program.