Rob Phillips

Began his career by pioneering the field of multiscale modeling through the invention of the influential quasi continuum method with his students and collaborators. In 2000 he began working on the mechanics of viruses, and soon broadened his efforts in biophysics to include a strong experimental program on a broad range of biological problems. He uses mathematics and physics to make predictions about biological systems, including how viruses and cells physically manipulate DNA as part of their standard repertoire during their life cycles, how transcriptional networks lead to regulatory decisions, and how the physical properties of lipid bilayers of the cell membrane are tied to the behavior of ion channels. In 2012 he and his lab members watched viruses infecting individual bacteria by transferring their DNA, and measured the rate at which that transfer occurs. Known for his hands-on boot camps which have encouraged young scientists to become quantitative biologists; his influence here is exemplified by his prestigious positions as course director for Physical Biology at the Cold Spring Harbor Lab, as well as Physiology Course co-director at the Woods Hole Marine Biology Lab and through his widely used books “Physical Biology of the Cell” and “Cell Biology by the Numbers".