Dr. Rakesh Chatterjee

Welcome to my personal webpage, which serves as an extended version of my CV. I am currently working as a Scientific Assistant at the Chair of Mathematics in LifeSciences, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), Germany and also affiliated to the newly formed Max-Planck-Zentrum für Physik und Medizin.

My research focuses on the statistical properties of models far from equilibrium to understand complex physical and biological phenomena. I develop simple models that capture the underlying physical mechanisms and analyze them using both analytical theory and numerical simulations. My academic interests span a wide range of topics in non-equilibrium statistical physics of active systems, with a clear inclination towards biological and material science applications.

Statistical physics explores how interactions between constituent particles lead to the formation of structures in the macroscopic world, explaining how microscopic entities produce macroscopic phenomena. Since my Ph.D., I have worked on various problems in statistical physics, such as low-dimensional driven and diffusive models and particle systems driven by time-periodic forces in 1D. Recently, I have also interested in soft matter problems, including the collective behavior of non-convex active particles, glassy dynamics, arrested states, microemulsion systems, and numerical modeling of synthetic biological experiments.

Earlier in my research career, I have contributed to the field of critical dynamics in complex systems. We analyzed stock market data as a dynamical system to investigate correlation patterns through time series analysis, seeking precursors for critical market states. To understand the statistical behavior of the financial market and its sectors, we typically consider the co-movements and correlations among market stocks.

Recent experiments have shown that cells in dense biological tissues exhibit many characteristics of glassy materials, including arrested states and dynamical heterogeneities. In a lattice-based model, we demonstrated that increasing density dynamically frustrates the route to optimal packing, causing the system to become arrested in a lower-density disordered glassy phase.

Currently, my research projects aim to understand the interplay between transcriptional activity in chromatin organization and the phase separation behavior of DNA oligo-based nano-motifs.