Mechanics of Adherent Cells
Bio
Margaret’s lab is interested in the properties of materials constructed out of proteins that form the basis of living cells. She employs approaches from condensed matter physics, biochemistry and cell biology to understand how these dynamic and heterogeneous assemblies control the adhesion and shape of non-muscle cells and tissue.
Margaret Gardel graduated from Brown University with a B.S. in Mathematics and Physics in 1998 and received a Ph.D. in Physics at Harvard University in 2004 working under David Weitz. She pursued postdoctoral research in Cell Biology at Scripps Research Institute with Clare Waterman before joining the University of Chicago in 2007 as a member of the Physics Department, James Franck Institute and Institute for Biophysical Dynamics. In 2013, she was promoted to Associate Professor. She has received numerous awards, including a Packard Foundation Award, Burroughs Wellcome Career Award at the Scientific Interface and NIH Pioneer Award. She is a member of the American Society of Cell Biology, Biophysical Society and American Physical Society.