Principal Investigator
Postdoctoral Fellows
Cyrill Bösch
My research focuses on thermodynamic computing, leveraging the natural dynamics of small-scale nonlinear physical systems coupled to thermal baths for generative modeling. While platform-agnostic, I have a primary interest in networks of nano- and opto-mechanical resonators, exploring their potential for energy-efficient computation. More broadly, I investigate how physical systems can be harnessed for computation, from simulating classical wave equations on quantum hardware to embedding control and sensing in mechanical metamaterials for robotics.
Isabel Moreira de Oliveira
My research focuses on the mechanics and computational design of architected materials and structural systems. During my Ph.D. in Civil Engineering at Princeton, I studied how patterned cuts in thin sheets (kirigami) can transform flexible materials into stiff, lightweight 3D trusses through a combination of physical experiments and finite element simulations. Building on this foundation, my current work integrates design optimization and machine learning methods to accelerate forward and inverse design of complex mechanical systems.
Rafael Pastrana
I develop machine learning models and differentiable solvers to accelerate the mechanical design of meter-scale structures, such as buildings, long-span roofs, and bridges. Currently, I study how to embed structural mechanics into neural networks to build trustworthy generative models for nonlinear response prediction and inverse design for cost minimization and solution diversity. Previously, I worked on form-finding methods that translate architectural intent into lightweight and buildable structural systems via shape optimization. I hold a master’s degree from ETH Zurich and a Ph.D. from Princeton.
Graduate Students
Joshua Aduol
Alex Guerra
Arin Mukherjee
I am a master’s student in the lab, currently researching diffusion models - specifically, designing a generative process that allows for varying output dimensionality without relying on fixed-dimensional constraints like padding or masking. Previously, I completed my BSE also at Princeton, where my senior thesis was focused on optimizing the structure of mechanical metamaterials to improve performance in specific deformation tasks.
Olga Solodova
Sowmya Thanvantri
I am a PhD student interested in exploring the intersection of machine learning and physics. Previously, I earned my bachelor’s degree in computer science from Berkeley, where I worked on applying machine learning based anomaly detection techniques to astrophysics and developed algorithms for analyzing many-body quantum systems.
Kathryn Wantlin
Personal WebsiteMy research interests center around using RL to learn efficient representations for combinatorial reasoning. Currently, I’m investigating any-order autoregression algorithms with self-correcting behavior as well as self-supervised skill learning for agentic workflows. Previously, I completed my Master’s thesis on designing spatial birth-death point processes to model decentralized morphogenesis. I received my M.S.E. from Princeton University and my A.B. from Harvard University, both in computer science.
Daniel Williams
Personal WebsiteI am broadly interested in optimization, inverse design, and electromagnetics, with a focus on developing algorithms for clean energy systems such as nuclear fusion reactors. Currently, my work explores accelerating engineering design processes using machine learning and optimization methods. Prior to starting my PhD, I completed my bachelor’s degree in Computer Science at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
Cindy Zhang
Personal WebsiteI am broadly interested in machine learning methods that are theoretically motivated and have applications in materials science. Currently, my work focuses on symmetry groups and Fourier representations in machine learning. Prior to starting my PhD, I completed my bachelor’s degree at MIT, where I worked on ML fairness research with Professor Devavrat Shah.
Alumni and Friends
- Jordan Ash
- Elaine Angelino
- Samuel Barnett
- Alex Beatson
- Diana Cai
- SueYeon Chung
- Eyal Dechter
- Finale Doshi-Velez
- Bianca Dumitrascu
- David Duvenaud
- Michael Gelbart
- Jonathan Huggins
- Jose Miguel Hernandez Lobato
- Matthew Johnson
- Scott Linderman
- Sulin Liu
- Dougal Maclaurin
- Eder Medina
- Andrew Miller
- Mehran Mirramezani
- Shamim Nemati
- Yaniv Ovadia
- Deniz Oktay
- Jad Rahme
- Yakir Reshef
- Nick Richardson
- Oren Rippel
- Ardavan Saeedi
- Ari Seff
- Jasper Snoek
- Xingyuan Sun
- Daniel Suo
- Jose Garrido Torres
- Alex Wiltschko
- Tianju Xue
- Jenny (Ni) Zhan
- Wenda Zhou