ECR Spotlight – Udit Halder and Katya Gribkova

Udit Halder (left) and Katya Gribkova (right)

How did you become interested in biology?

Udit: It is an interesting question because biology was not my favorite subject in high school. I enjoyed physics and mathematics much more, and I earned all my academic degrees in fields closely related to electrical engineering. However, my interest in biology grew during graduate school at Maryland, where I studied the mathematics of the collective behavior of natural flocks such as birds and fish, and its potential engineering applications. Working closely with Prof. P. S. Krishnaprasad shaped my outlook towards science as I slowly started to appreciate the intricacies of the interconnections between different branches of science and engineering. I was also fortunate to work with an interdisciplinary team studying octopuses during my postdoctoral research at Illinois. I learned a great deal about these fascinating animals, which not only blew my mind but also significantly added to my growing interest in biology. Ever since these transformative experiences, biological phenomena and principles have taken a special place in my research and curiosity.

Katya: As a child, my first love was actually mathematics. But as I started to question ‘why and how am I actually able to think about math, and how are we able to solve and create these marvelous puzzles’, I became intensely interested in the biology of our own minds. In middle school, I learned much more about biology as I competed in the Science Olympiad, diving into subjects such as neuroscience and genetics. This new-found interest took hold and spread more broadly, as with my summer childhood hobby of gathering sargassum seaweed off the coast of Florida and spotting all the little marine organisms that thrive there. Thus started my journey into embracing math and biology in tandem, and later on, seeking to unite them wherever possible in my interdisciplinary work.

Describe your scientific journey and your current research focus

Udit: After high school, I completed my bachelors in electronics and telecommunication engineering from Jadavpur University in India. I then went to the US for my graduate studies at the University of Maryland, College Park. The core focus of my PhD dissertation was to develop continuum models of natural flocking and to study associated optimality principles. I also worked on the potential applications of collective behavior in robotics. After earning my doctorate degree, I moved to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign for my postdoctoral research. At Illinois, my work has primarily focused on mathematical modeling and control strategies of soft octopus arms. Research along this line is heavily fueled by the recent advancements and promising applications in soft robotics. I will soon start my independent research career as a tenure-track professor at the University of South Florida, where my work will also include neural sensorimotor control of bioinspired soft systems.

Katya: In my undergraduate studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), I did a double major in Mathematics and Molecular and Cellular Biology, and I first joined a research lab specializing in audition, which allowed me to develop my skills in both computational modeling and neurophysiology. For my PhD, I initially focused on auditory neuroscience. Then, after attending a summer course for methods in computational neuroscience at the Marine Biological Laboratory, I gained a greater grasp of computational neuroscience, which I was able to grow and develop further when I joined a systems neuroethology lab at UIUC. Now, for my postdoctoral research, I am working on neuro-behavioral studies of marine invertebrates, as well as computational modeling of behavior, memory and neural plasticity, and biologically inspired artificial intelligence.

How would you explain the main findings/message of your paper to a member of the public?

Octopus arms are very flexible appendages that are composed entirely of muscle, nervous tissue and connective tissue. Mimicking the properties of octopus arms has long been a major goal in developing soft robots, which are particularly useful in applications that require significant deformation and adaptability in complex environments. In our paper, we examined the passive mechanical properties of octopus arms, in the absence of muscle activity. In particular, using specialized equipment, we characterized both elastic and viscous properties of octopus arm tissue under deformation. We also found that our experimental results are well described by specific models of viscoelastic materials, which is useful for the mathematical modeling of octopus arms and for soft robotics.

What do you enjoy most about research, and why?

Udit: My biggest motivation for doing research is its unpredictability and the promise of understanding something new. I get especially excited about interdisciplinary research. It reminds me of the story of the blind men and the elephant, where experts from different fields can identify various parts of the unknown object. It is only when we join our forces together that the bigger picture, or the complete ‘elephant’, becomes apparent. This whole journey of scientific research from confusion to clarity stimulates me quite a lot.

Katya: For me, the process of discovery and scientific creation is among the greatest joys of research. There have been many times in our work that we were venturing into areas which were not fully explored, and the excitement of that exploration and synthesis in science is something that I feel is unmatched by most anything else. In particular, this seems to happen more often at the intersection of different disciplines, and especially in the convergence of computational and biological sciences.

What is the most important lesson that you have learned from your career so far?

Katya: Throughout my scientific journey, I've learned that interdisciplinary experience and collaboration are among the most powerful sources of innovation and scientific progress. My broad background and education have helped me immensely in overcoming some of the communication gaps between different specializations, such as between physiologists and engineers. In fact, this interdisciplinary collaboration between Udit and myself is what made our current paper possible. So, in my experience, the convergence between computational and biological sciences have led to some of our most creative and successful scientific breakthroughs.

Udit: I completely agree with Katya's answer. In my opinion, interdisciplinary research holds great importance in modern-day science and engineering. And yet, communication between different fields can become particularly challenging. In my case, having strong engineering training and remaining curious and open-minded about other disciplines have helped a lot to undertake such a challenge.

What's next for you?

Udit: I am starting as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of South Florida this summer! I am extremely excited to continue developing my research in the area of bioinspired soft systems, encompassing biological systems, neuronal sensorimotor controls and soft robotics. I look forward to working with some of the best minds in these fields and training the next generation of researchers.