Prize Recipient


Recipient Picture

Adam Dionne
Williams College

Citation:

"For the development of a novel experimental and theoretical framework to establish a new understanding of nutrient dispersal and transport in Physarum polycephalum."

Background:

Adam Dionne received his B.A. in physics and math from Williams College in 2022, and is now pursuing a Ph.D. in Applied Physics at Harvard University’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS). His undergraduate thesis, advised by Professors Henrik Ronellenfitsch and Katharine Jensen, investigated active fluid transport networks. Adam studied a model system, the slime mold Physarum polycephalum, and utilized theory, experiment, and simulations to characterize the organism’s behavior. This research uncovered a framework for decomposing an active transport network’s organization by utilizing viscoelastic decay modes that drive transport. Adam is continuing his research in biological physics at Harvard, in hopes of uncovering more central principles to describe self-organization within biology.