FMC seminar: Alejandro Torres Sánchez, from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Barcelona

On Thursday, 7 May 2026, the sixth session of the 2026 Seminar Series of the Department of Condensed Matter Physics of the University of Zaragoza will take place. The speaker will be Alejandro Torres Sánchez, from the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Barcelona, who will deliver a lecture entitled “Deciphering morphogenesis with physical models and simulations.”

The session will be held at 12:30 p.m. in the Sala de Grados of the Faculty of Sciences of the University of Zaragoza.

Seminar abstract:

Morphogenesis, the emergence of biological form, is often framed in terms of genes and biochemical signals, yet it is equally a mechanics problem: how forces are generated, transmitted, and organised across scales to shape matter. I will begin by outlining how stresses arise and propagate in tissues, focusing on how cells generate forces through the cytoskeleton, an active material that self-organises into dynamic stress fibres. I will then turn to organ morphogenesis, using the heart to illustrate how mechanical instabilities, such as fracture and buckling, can drive large-scale remodelling.

About the speaker:

Since 2022, I have led a research group at EMBL-Barcelona studying the physical principles of tissue organisation across scales using mathematical models and computer simulations. Previously, I carried out postdoctoral research at the Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC), the Francis Crick Institute, and the Institute for Bioengineering of Catalonia on active matter and cell and tissue mechanics. I completed my PhD at UPC on the mechanics of biomembranes, following bachelor’s degrees in physics (University of Zaragoza) and mathematics (UNED), and a master’s degree in theoretical physics and complex systems (Université de Cergy-Pontoise).

Please note that undergraduate and doctoral students may apply for the recognition of credits for Cultural and Complementary University Activities for attending seminars in this series. Attendance will be recorded during the seminar itself. Further information is available at
https://fmc.unizar.es/noticia/reconocimiento-creditos-actividades-universitarias-culturales-y-complementarias.