I received my PhD in physics from the University of Chicago. I am interested in the physics of systems far from equilibrium, from rheology of particulate suspensions, to mechanics of artificial swimmers at low Reynolds number, to collective motion of bacteria. Currently, my focus is on using high-resolution traction force microscopy to measure the mechanical properties of a soil-dwelling bacterium Myxococcus xanthus, which shows rich behaviors on a solid substrate. I believe that accurate quantitative measurements are of great value for understanding biological systems, especially when these systems are intrinsically complex.