Ricard Alert
The Physics of Living Matter
RÉSUMÉ
Research
experience
Postdoctoral research associate
Princeton University, Department of Physics
March 2018 - present
PhD student (La Caixa fellowship)
University of Barcelona
November 2013 - January 2018
PhD Thesis: Forces and flows in cells and tissues. Blebs, active gels, and collective cell migration
Advisor: Jaume Casademunt
Faculty: Physics
Department: Condensed Matter Physics
Group: Nonlinear Physics
Description: This thesis presents my PhD research in biophysics, covering three topics related to mechanical aspects of cellular behaviour, for which we develop theoretical physical models.
Visiting PhD student (Development Travelling fellowship)
Institut Curie
May 2016 - July 2016
Project: Active hydrodynamics of epithelial tissues
Advisor: Jacques Prost
Department: Physico-chimie du vivant
Group: Physical approach to biological problems
Description: We study the dynamics of epithelial tissues using active-gel theory, and compare the theoretical predictions to some experiments in the lab of Xavier Trepat in Barcelona.
Visiting PhD student (EMBO Short-Term fellowship)
Institut Curie
September 2015 - November 2015
Project: Active hydrodynamics of epithelial tissues
Advisor: Jacques Prost
Department: Physico-chimie du vivant
Group: Physical approach to biological problems
Description: We study the dynamics of epithelial tissues using active-gel theory, and compare the theoretical predictions to some experiments in the lab of Xavier Trepat in Barcelona.
Visiting researcher (Marie Curie Early-Stage Research fellowship)
University of Cambridge
July 2013 - October 2013
Project: Collective dynamics of colloidal particles under magnetic forces
Advisor: Jure Dobnikar
Department: Chemistry
Group: Daan Frenkel
Description: We study the phase transitions and the associated dynamical effects in a magnetic colloidal crystal. We also investigate the self-assembly and phase behaviour of magnetic molecular colloidal crystals. We combine theory and simulations with the experiments that Pietro Tierno carries out in Barcelona.
Student researcher
University of Barcelona
October 2012 - July 2013
Project: Collective dynamics of colloidal particles under magnetic forces
Advisors: Pietro Tierno, Jaume Casademunt
Faculty: Physics
Department: Structure and Constituents of Matter
Group: Nonlinear Physics
Description: We study the phase transitions and the associated dynamical effects in a magnetic colloidal crystal. We combine theory, simulation, and experiments.
Research collaboration scholarship
University of Barcelona
September 2011 - June 2012
Project: Introduction to biophysical research problems
Advisor: Jaume Casademunt
Faculty: Physics
Department: Structure and Constituents of Matter
Group: Nonlinear Physics
Description: Literature introduction to two biophysical research problems:
- Collective dynamics of molecular motors for intracellular transport in neurons
- Hydrodynamics of active polar gels for cell motility.
Research primer fellowship
University of Barcelona
July 2011 - September 2011
Project: Quantum electron transport in graphene-based carbon nanostructures
Advisor: Albert Cirera
Faculty: Physics
Department: Electronics
Group: MIND (Micro-Nanotechnology and Nanoscopy for Electronic and Photonic Devices)
Description: Analysis and modelization of electrical response and band structure of different graphene nanoribbons by first principles calculations using the TranSiesta simulation code.
Skills
Software
LaTeX
GNU Plot
Mathematica
Microsoft Excel
Microsoft Word
Adobe Photoshop
Programming languages
ForTran
Languages
Teaching
Biophysics
University of Barcelona
Spring term 2015-2016
Degree: Physics
Year: 4th (undergraduate)
Section: Problems
Other teachers: Marta Ibañes, Jordi Soriano
Comments: Elaboration of the contents and the problem set
Education
Master in Biophysics
University of Barcelona
September 2012 - September 2013
Faculty: Physics
Qualification: 97.3/100 (Extraordinary Award)
Master Thesis: Theory of cell membrane-cortex adhesion dynamics
Advisor: Jaume Casademunt
Other highlighted projects: Darwin's equations. Biological macroevolution as a self-organized critical phenomenon
Bachelor in Physics
University of Barcelona
September 2007 - June 2012
Faculty: Physics
Qualification: 93.1/100 (Extraordinary Award)
Highlighted projects:
- Thermal fluctuations in superconductors (2012)
- Rheology of complex fluids. Active polar gels hydrodynamics (2012)
- Phase ordering dynamics (2011)
- Yang and Lee theory of phase transitions (2010)
- The van der Waals-Maxwell state equation from a weak long-ranged interaction (2010)
- Statistical methods for experimental data analysis (2009)