Maahi Talukder

Research interests

My research lies at the interface of theoretical mechanics, computational modeling, and biological physics, focusing on how adhesion governs the mechanical behavior of living systems ranging from microbial cells to epithelial tissues. During my Ph.D., I developed a series of models that collectively advance our understanding of adhesion in soft biological materials: (1) a theoretical framework for the adhesive contact of inflated hyperelastic membranes, elucidating how turgor pressure and substrate curvature regulate microbial adhesion; (2) a biophysical model of Candida albicans interacting with nanofiber surfaces, predicting energetically favorable adhesion sites consistent with experimental observations; and (3) a theoretical and computational framework for epithelial tissue mechanics that links microscopic adhesion parameters to macroscopic phenomena such as fracture, T1 transitions, and tissue remodeling.