Professor Fred Mackintosh, Vrije Universiteit

Research Interests
Our research interests concern the fundamental physics of soft matter, of which biological materials are principal examples. While our understanding of the single-molecule properties of many of the key building blocks of the cell is relatively advanced, our understanding of the basic physics governing biological assemblies from the nanometer to the micrometer scales is, by comparison, still rudimentary. Many sub-cellular structures involve the coordinated assembly of disparate elements such as soft membranes and stiff filamentous proteins. Our specific research interests include the structural, mechanical and dynamic properties of these and other soft materials.

Professor Paul Goldbart, Georgia Tech

Current Research Interests:

• Statistical and soft matter physics
  • random solid forming media
  • vulcanized macromolecular networks (e.g. rubber and gels)
  • crystalline liquids
  • disordered systems
• Quantum nanoscience
  • superconducting nanostructures and nanodevices
  • graphene
  • mesoscopic systems and geometric phases
  • Andreev billiards and chaos
• Quantum fluids and solids
  • superfluidity and unconventional superconductivity
  • collective phenomena in ultracold atomic gases
  • magnetic and orbital ordering
• Quantum information
  • measures of quantum entanglement
• Law and economics
  • liability rules; options as strategies for dispute resolution

Professor Zvonimir Dogic, Brandeis

My current research interests fall at the interface between physics and sensory neuroscience, and focuses at understanding the basic processes of hearing. The first step in our processing of sound is mediated by hair cells, specialized cells of the inner ear that detect mechanical stimuli and transduce them into electrical signals that are passed on to the rest of the brain. These cells display remarkable properties; they can detect displacements smaller than 1 nm, and yet can withstand loud sounds, covering a range of about 6 orders of magnitude. Further, they can amplify incoming stimuli and sustain prolonged oscillations, despite being immersed in a dissipative fluid environment. The mechanisms behind hair cell activity are still not fully elucidated, making hearing one of the least understood senses. Research in this laboratory is aimed at addressing some of these long-open questions.

Professor Dolores Bozovic, UCLA

My current research interests fall at the interface between physics and sensory neuroscience, and focuses at understanding the basic processes of hearing. The first step in our processing of sound is mediated by hair cells, specialized cells of the inner ear that detect mechanical stimuli and transduce them into electrical signals that are passed on to the rest of the brain. These cells display remarkable properties; they can detect displacements smaller than 1 nm, and yet can withstand loud sounds, covering a range of about 6 orders of magnitude. Further, they can amplify incoming stimuli and sustain prolonged oscillations, despite being immersed in a dissipative fluid environment. The mechanisms behind hair cell activity are still not fully elucidated, making hearing one of the least understood senses. Research in this laboratory is aimed at addressing some of these long-open questions.

Professor YongKeun Park, KIAST

Research Interests
Research Interest:
-Medical Imaging:multiple light scattering in turbid medium (biological tissue)
-Biophotonics: interferometric-based novel imaging techniques
-Biophysics: pathophysiology of cells