We study the physics of living systems. Our research is guided by the overarching question: how do stochastic interactions of cells and molecules control the functional behaviour of multicellular systems?

Our main focus is to understand how cells collectively make decisions on their future fate. We investigate this question across physical scales from tissues to cells down to the molecular level. At the tissue scale, we develop reaction-diffusion models and information theoretic frameworks to understand collective patterning processes. At the cellular scale, we ask how cells interpret combinatorial and dynamic signals to decide their fate. At the molecular scale, we investigate how the stochastic dynamics of gene regulatory elements implements these decisions.

To tackle these problems, we use a combination of theoretical approaches firmly grounded in statistical and soft matter physics. We develop biophysical models of cell signaling and mechanics to investigate how tissues self-organize. To gain conceptual insights across systems, we analyze these models using information theory, providing a mechanism- and system-independent language to formalize biological function. Using inference and machine learning approaches, we connect our models to quantitative data sets in close collaboration with experimental labs around the world. Please refer to the research tab for more details on ongoing projects.

Starting April 2025, our group will be based at the Biozentrum of the University of Basel, Switzerland. 

We are looking for excellent people to join our group at all levels!