Marko Popović

I am currently a research group leader at Max Planck Institute for Physics of Complex Systems in Dresden and a senior research associate at the Ruđer Bošković Institute in Zagreb. My research focuses on the mechanics of biological tissues, with particular interest in tissue morphogenesis and the mechanical properties of soft amorphous materials. I study the physics of living tissues, asking how they fold, flow, and organize during development and regeneration through a combination of theoretical modeling, numerical simulations, and data analysis.

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The Croatian Science Foundation project PolyCell — IP-2026-1511 started on 1 October 2026. Over the next 36 months, we will investigate how cell-size heterogeneity shapes the organisation, mechanical stability, and flow of epithelial tissues.

Using vertex models, statistical-physics methods, and numerical simulations, the project will connect variability at the level of individual cells to tissue-scale structure and mechanics. PolyCell is hosted at the Ruđer Bošković Institute and runs until 30 September 2029.

Read more about the project.

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Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Prize

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I received the Pierre-Gilles de Gennes Prize, which recognizes mid-career researchers working at the interface of physics, biophysics, and the life sciences.