Stefano Villa

I am group leader in the Department of Prof. Bodenschatz. My interests lie on the frontier between complex fluids and living tissues, based on the study of the mechanical properties of matter through the study of dynamics. I address these subjects through a quantitative analysis of microscopy data, either acquired with commercial devices or custom set-ups specifically developed for particular geometries or characterizations. After the MS degree in Physics at University of Milan, I obtained a PhD in Physics at University of Montpellier with a thesis on the dynamics of colloidal particles in the vicinity of air-water interfaces. I then moved to the Medical Biotechnology and Translational Medicine Department of the University of Milan for a post-doc in the Complex Fluids group. There, I characterized the dynamics of in vitro cell monolayers and developed a set-up for the micro-and macro-rheological characterization of viscoelastic materials. In the Laboratory of Fluid Physics, Pattern Formation and Biocomplexity I collaborate to the study of the cilia driven flow of the cerebrospinal fluid in the ventral third ventricle of the mammalian brain. The beating cilia create a complex flow network we characterize using fluorescent bead tracking, differential interference contrast imaging of beating cilia, and immunostaining.

Tel: +49-551-5176-306
Mail: stefano.villa.at.ds.mpg.de