How do living systems self-organize?
Life exhibits spontaneous self organization at every scale: Small molecules self-organize into functional macromolecular structures, which interact in complex regulatory networks to carry out specific cellular functions. In multicellular organisms, those cellular functions are coordinated across tissues and precisely orchestrated across the body. Individual organisms collectively form populations with complex genetic and social dynamics. How do these occur, and how do the dynamics at the smallest scale impact outcomes at the largest? Our central goal is to understand how the macroscopic properties observed in living systems emerge from the complex interplay of microscopic interactions.
Computational biology at multiple scales
Working at the interface between mathematics, statistics, physics, and biology, we develop and apply powerful computational methods to investigate living systems at multiple scales — from the atomic level, to the gene level, to the systems level, to the tissue/organismal level, and finally to the population level. We apply these methods in close collaboration with experimentalists to investigate circadian regulation, cancer, and development. Learn more about our research and read our publications.
