Raghavan Thiagarajan

I am interested in how biological systems achieve robust self-organization across multiple scales. Specifically, I investigate the dynamic interplay between mechanics and organization—from the sub-cellular level to tissue-scale processes—across diverse biological contexts, including development. After a bachelors (SASTRA University, India) and masters (Nanyang Technological University, Singapore) in Bioengineering, I did my PhD in Cell Physics with Prof. Daniel Riveline at IGBMC, ISIS, and University of Strasbourg (France) where I investigated the collective behaviors spanning molecular (cytokinetic ring), cellular (protrusions), and tissue-scale (flows and oscillations) dynamics. Currently, as a postdoctoral researcher with Prof. Jakub Sedzinski at reNEW (Novo Nordisk Foundation Center for Stem Cell Medicine), University of Copenhagen (Denmark), I study how mechanical principles and dynamic processes at both sub-cellular and tissue scales drive the development of mucociliary epithelia. My research centers on cytoskeletal networks and organelle positioning, exploring how sub-cellular organization influences spatial patterning, tissue mechanics, and emergent functions in epithelial tissues. I combine the engineering of micron-scale structures, development of custom experimental tools such as tissue stretchers, high-resolution imaging, quantitative analysis and close collaboration with soft matter theorists to explore these contexts. I enjoy working in interdisciplinary environments, bridging physics and biology to uncover how complex biological organization emerges from simple physical rules. In particular, my current and future quests are aimed at investigating how sub-cellular organization shapes tissue-scale dynamics and function.