Dr Marco Mazza

• 2018-present, Lecturer in Applied Mathematics, Department of Mathematical Sciences, Loughborough University.
• 2012-2018, Research Group Leader, Max Planck Institute for Dynamics and Self-Organization, Dynamics of Complex Fluids Department, Göttingen, Germany
• 2009-2012, Postdoctoral Fellow, Technical University of Berlin, Germany.
• 2004-2009, PhD. Physics, Boston University, Boston, USA.
• 1996-2001, M.Sc. (Laurea) Theoretical Physics, University of Catania, Catania, Italy.

We think that nonequilibrium physics is among the most exciting frontiers of science. We are interested in the transitions, self-organization, and collective states of inert and living matter. We use theory and computer simulations to investigate soft matter systems such active swimmers, liquid crystals, granular matter. From bacteria to biofilms, from simple molecules to large-scale patterns, our main goal is to identify the driving mechanisms of complex matter organization.

On the small scale, molecules with anisotropic interactions exhibit a profusion of interesting states of organization. We aim at investigating their structural and dynamical properties, useful in self-assembly or in functional materials, for example in liquid crystals, whose behavior in dictated by interactions and topology. Once geometrical confinement or hydrodynamic flow are present, soft matter system offer opportunities for smart, tunable materials. At larger scales, hydrodynamics open countless nonequilibrium phenomena, from clustering of granular gases to microfluidic manipulation. At the even larger scale of microorganisms, our goal is to understand the complexity in motile phytoplankton and biofilms. Finally, we aim at uncovering basic physical principles in the organization of collections of cognitive agents, the most sophisticated nonequilibrium system.

2023 – present Jan Cammann, Postdoctoral 

• MAB110 Mathematics for Mechanical Engineering 3
• MAC297 Mathematical Biology