ALAB
Welcome to the webpage of the Alvarado Lab (“ALAB”), based in the Center for Nonlinear Dynamics in the Physics Department at the University of Texas at Austin.
Logo design: Jonas Smucker.
Welcome to the webpage of the Alvarado Lab (“ALAB”), based in the Center for Nonlinear Dynamics in the Physics Department at the University of Texas at Austin.
Logo design: Jonas Smucker.
Living systems are capable of remarkable mechanical tasks, whether it is a neuron precisely crawling across a growing brain or a striker scoring a sensational goal at a soccer match. Traditional approaches to mechanics struggle to describe the complex mechanical behavior of living systems because of a tight integration between the non-equilibrium, active, energy-consuming, and entropy-generating "hardware" and the sensing, controlling, information-processing, and decision-making "software" present at cellular and organismal scales. This integration is difficult to study in living systems because of numerous concurrent processes that hinder isolation of minimal mechanisms.
Our lab studies physical model systems which mimic living systems. This approach is similar to that of aerospace engineers, who study the performance of model airplanes when designing new aircraft. Our goal is to uncover the mechanical design principles of living systems by building up the complexity of our physical model systems. By studying model systems, we not only better understand the mechanics that govern living systems, but also develop novel engineering applications inspired by nature.
Find out more about our research projects here.
Interested in research at the intersection of biology and mechanics? We encourage you to get in touch and see if projects are available! Please email Dr. Alvarado a copy of your résumé and a brief intro with your research interests to find out more.
Graduate Students: If you are an incoming or established graduate student at UT Austin, email Dr. Alvarado. If you are interested in joining UT Austin as a graduate student, you will need to apply to the Graduate Program. Our lab is based in the Physics Department, and applicants will need to demonstrate completion of intermediate and advanced physics undergraduate courses. See this page for more information about applying to the Physics Graduate Program. We may also be able to accommodate graduate students from other departments— please email Dr. Alvarado to discuss details.
Undergraduate Students: We may post undergraduate research project openings on the UT Eureka Database. However, if you don't find a project on there, you may still email Dr. Alvarado to find out if there are projects on the horizon. We welcome undergraduate students from a wide range of disciplines.
ALAB at Mother Neff State Park near Temple, TX, for our 2025 Summer Retreat.
You can't take a road trip in Texas without stopping at Buc-ee's.
We maintain a donation account. All funds benefit group activities, such as our annual ALAB retreat, which offer a combination of professional development and team building. Our goal is to offer these activities at little or no cost to lab members. Any donation is warmly welcomed.
How to donate: Please visit our University's Giving website (https://give.utexas.edu). Select as Designation "Department of Physics". In the Gift Comments field, include the following text to have your gift routed to our donation account: "Department of Physics, Alvarado Lab, H2A/023H2A OGPNSPY".
All donations are tax-deductible with the IRS. You will receive an email afterward from the university with a tax receipt.