Alex Levine

Professor Alex Levine (1968-2022) earned his PhD in physics at UCLA in 1996, and returned in 2005 to become a member of the faculty. Alex made distinguished contributions to both soft condensed matter and biophysics. His particular focus was the application of continuum mechanics and hydrodynamics to biomaterials such as cell membranes and tissue material. One important example is the statistical mechanics of non-equilibrium filament networks in which the filaments are stochastically tensed by molecular motors and the effects of curvature. Another example is his work on the connection between topology and hydrodynamics of bio-membranes. He also contributed to a range of other fields such as neuronal networks, phase transitions in colloidal crystals, laser trapping of colloidal particles with complex shapes, and sedimentation. He was an inspiring teacher and a vivid storyteller. He is survived by his wife Catherine Nameth and son Laszlo Levine.