Director of JFI
Professor of Physics
- Address:
- GCIS E233
- Phone:
- (773) 834-5871
- Email:
- gardel@uchicago.edu
- Visit the Group
- http://squishycell.uchicago.edu/
Research
My research interests focus on understanding the mechanics and dynamics of materials constructed out of mechanochemically active proteins. Specifically, our group works on classes of materials that form the ”skeleton” of living cells and regulate cell shape, adhesion, migration, division, and morphogenesis. We are interested in how these physical properties inform the biophysical regulation of cell physiology as well as the fundamental design principles used to build matter far from thermodynamic equilibrium.
Topics: Cell Adhesion, Cell Migration, Active Matter, Confocal Microscopy, Rheology
News & Highlights
- Margaret Gardel & Peter Littlewood Elected to NAS, May 1, 2025
- Vitelli and Gardel groups create new model to predict cell traction, January 30, 2024
- Gardel group discovers limit of cell division lies in the volume of the genome, October 30, 2023
- Center for Living Systems awarded $15.5 million, October 30, 2023