August 2023: The end of our defense-filled summer! Wan-Jung Lin successfully defended her PhD, with studies focused on physics-centered changes in migration as cells enter narrowing confinement. Congratulations Wan-Jung!


August 2023: Our summer undergrads presented their research for the WUSEF and UExB programs. Congrats Miranda and Calvin!!



August 2023: Publication in MBoC Journal showing obstructions soften and slow epithelial migration. Congrats Ye Lim!


July 2023: José successfully defended his PhD, covering outcomes from mechanical and biochemical based cell memory. Congratulations José!!


July 2023: Jairaj successfully defended his PhD, encompassing an impressive range of models for collective migration. Congratulations Jai!!


July 2023: Publication in FASEB Journal showing epithelial cell clustering in response to the presence of pro-inflammatory macrophages on soft substrates (WashU News). Congrats Hannah!


May 2023:  Local hero Amit Pathak standing up to BIG GOV that wants to prevent runners from running (Local News). Great work Amit!


March 2023: Publication in Cell Reports showing polarized cells generate matrix polarity to enable depth sensing (WashU News). Congrats Chris!


February 2023: Publication in eLife highlighting new concurrent epithelial-mesenchymal cell states observed during nuclear export inhibition (WashU News). Congrats Carly!


January 2023: Publication in Molecular Biology of the Cell demonstrating cell-to-matrix transfer of mechanical memory (WashU News). Congrats José and Jairaj!!


Sep 2022

Publication in Molecular Biology of the Cell on mechanosensitive nucleoli (WashU News).

Jul 2022

NSF CMMI grant to study cell-matrix memory (WashU News).

May 2022

NIH/NCI R01 grant with Greg Longmore (WashU News story).

Sep 2019

Publication in the Journal of Cell Science on collective cell streaming due to varying collagen fiber length and matrix stiffness. Congrats Bapi, Amrit, and co-authors. (In WashU news)

Jul 2018

NIH/NIGMS R35 MIRA grant for research in epithelial cell mechanobiology. We have doctoral, postdoctoral, and lab tech positions open.

May 2018

New publication in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering on our new micro-patterning technique and weakening of cell-cell junctions due to matrix stiffness, cell spreading, and cellular tractions. Congrats Bapi.

May 2018

New publication in Integrative Biology on the role of basement membrane defects in cell EMT and invasion. Congrats Chris & Josh. (WashU News story)

Apr 2018

Pilot grant from the NSF Center for Engineering MechanoBiology.

Jan 2018

NIH/NIBIB Trailblazer Award, in collaboration with Dr. Eynav Klechevsky (Immunology & Pathology).

Jan 2018

Emerson Collective 2-year $200K pilot grant for new research in immuno-mechanobiology.

Sep 2017

Publication in Biomaterials​ on mechanical memory in collective cell migration, in collaboration with Dr. Longmore. Congratulations Samila! (WashU News story​; Featured on NSF.gov homepage; EurekAlert!​) Recommended by Dr. Cynthia Reinhart-King on F1000. 

Apr 2017

Publication in Biophysical Journal, in collaboration with Drs. Gutmann and Sakiyama-Elbert. Congratulations Chris!

Nov 2016

New American Cancer Society – Institutional Research Grant.

Nov 2016

Publication​ in ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering. Congratulations, Samila! This work was done in collaboration with Dr. Parag Bannerjee​.

Oct 2016

Publication​ in Biophysical Journal on computational modeling of epithelial cell scattering (featured on Biophysical Journal homepage). [WashU News story​]

Jan 2016

Publication in Scientific Reports​. Congratulations, Samila!

Dec 2015

Amit receives the BMES-CMBE Rising Star Award​.​

May 2015

Funding from WashU’s SEAS Collaboration Initiation Grant program to investigate ‘mechanical development of optic glioma’ in collaboration with Dr. David Gutmann.

Jan 2015

Amit receives NSF CAREER Award.

Sep 2014

Pre-doctoral Fellowship to Chris, supported by the NIH T32 Training Grant entitled “Interdisciplinary Training in Mechanobiology from nm to cm (MBnc)”.