Mattia Serra website

We develop data-driven mathematical methods and physical models to study biological and physical systems defined through equations or experiments. These systems are typically nonlinear, multi-scale and chaotic, requiring novel approaches to (i) detect emergent dynamic patterns from data and (ii) learn their generating principles. Recent research interests include self-organization in embryonic development, control of morphogenesis and active matter, fluid dynamics and coherent structures.

Principles and Control of Morphogenesis

Dynamic embryo geometry, flows and forces in avian gastrulation

Optimal Control of Short-Time Attractors in Active Nematics

Control of multicellular attractors in chick gastrulation

Coherent Structures in Active Flows on Dynamic Surfaces

Maximum Lagrangian deformation of a developing beating Zebrafish hearth

Morphogen Patterning in Dynamic Tissues

Morphogenetic movements mediates morphogen transport and cell-cell interaction ranges

Lagrangian Coherent Structures from sparse and noisy trajectories

Arnold–Beltrami–Childress flow

Objective Eulerian Coherent Structures aid Search and Rescue

TRansient Attracting Profiles reveal short-time attractors in general dynamical systems

Principles and Control of Morphogenesis

Merging attractors in twin chick embryos gastrulation

Stratospheric Polar Vortex

Coexistence of coherence and chaos in atmospheric flows

Principles and Control of Morphogenesis

Dynamic embryo geometry, flows and forces in avian gastrulation

Optimal Control of Short-Time Attractors in Active Nematics

Control of multicellular attractors in chick gastrulation

Coherent Structures in Active Flows on Dynamic Surfaces

Maximum Lagrangian deformation of a developing beating Zebrafish hearth

Morphogen Patterning in Dynamic Tissues

Morphogenetic movements mediates morphogen transport and cell-cell interaction ranges

Lagrangian Coherent Structures from sparse and noisy trajectories

Arnold–Beltrami–Childress flow

Press and News

December 2024

Mattia Serra receives the NSF CAREER Award

December 2024

UC Active Matter Hub

The "UC Active Matter Hub" is a UC Multicampus Research Programs and Initiative to nucleate collaborations between UC Merced (Mitchell, Hirst), UCSB (Marchetti, Dogic) and UCSD (Serra, Tan).

April 2024

Mattia Serra receives the HFSP Early Career Research Award

Together with Alessandro Mongera (UCL) and Maria Almuedo-Castillo (Centro Andaluz de Biología del Desarrollo) we will study the "Mechanical Control of Hidden Embryonic Boundaries".