Dr. Kinjal Dasbiswas is a distinguished theoretical physicist whose pioneering work bridges soft matter physics and cellular biology through rigorous mathematical frameworks. She currently serves as Assistant Professor of Physics and Thrust 2 Lead at the Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines at the University of California, Merced. Dr. Dasbiswas earned her PhD in theoretical condensed matter physics from the University of Florida in 2012 under Professor Alan T. Dorsey, focusing on topological defects in superfluids including supersolid helium. Prior to her faculty appointment, she conducted impactful postdoctoral research at the Weizmann Institute of Science with Professor Samuel Safran and at the James Franck Institute of the University of Chicago in the Vaikuntanathan group.
Dr. Dasbiswas has made seminal contributions to understanding mechano-chemical processes in biological systems through the application of continuum theories and statistical physics. Her groundbreaking theoretical work established a crucial link between structural order and the beating patterns of heart muscle cells, revealing how mechanical forces guide cellular development in controlled biological environments. She has pioneered sophisticated models characterizing the cellular cytoskeleton as a complex, tensile, shape-shifting networked material that enables essential cellular functions including adhesion, deformation, and motility. With over 1,450 citations according to Google Scholar, her research has significantly advanced the interdisciplinary field of biological physics by providing fundamental theoretical frameworks for understanding physical phenomena in cellular and tissue contexts.
As Thrust 2 Lead at UC Merced's Center for Cellular and Biomolecular Machines, Dr. Dasbiswas directs critical research exploring active material properties of biological matter, complex liquids, and topological modes in soft matter systems. Her laboratory continues to develop innovative theoretical approaches to decipher how physical forces govern cellular organization and developmental processes, with implications for understanding both normal biological function and disease mechanisms. She has received multiple prestigious fellowships including the VATAT Fellowship from the Israel Council of Higher Education and the E. Raymond Andrew Memorial Award, recognizing her exceptional contributions to theoretical physics. Dr. Dasbiswas remains at the forefront of theoretical biophysics, actively shaping research directions that integrate physical principles with cellular biology to address fundamental questions in biomolecular machinery.
