Teresa Lopez-LeonESPCI, SKCM² Affiliate Member

ESPCI Paris

teresa.lopez-leon_at_espci.fr

CNRS Researcher at Gulliver Lab, ESPCI Paris. B Sc, M Sc and PhD degrees in Physics from the University of Granada (Spain). Postdoctoral researcher at Harvard University (US), Georgia Institute of Technology (US) and University of Montpellier II (France). My research interests center on the physics of soft matter, with particular attention to self-organizing materials, such as liquid crystals. I investigate how the geometry and topology of the confining space influence the molecular organization of these systems. I have intensively studied liquid crystalline phases in curved environments, where topological defects and hierarchical structures emerge from geometrical frustration. We are currently exploring the importance of these concepts in the realm of biomimetic liquid crystals, where activity and elasticity compete, leading to fascinating spatio-temporal patterns and life-like properties, which could find applications in biomedicine and robotics.

What I like about my research: Since my first glimpse of them through a microscope, liquid crystals have captured my fascination. They offer a mesmerizing display of colors and textures, usually induced by the formation of topological defects, but their significance goes beyond aesthetics. They provide insights into crucial questions across various fields in physics, ranging from cosmology to particle physics, as well as high potential for applications.