04 June 2026
Human Technopole welcomes Wolfram Pönisch as a new Research Group Leader in the Computational Biology Research Centre – Biophysical Modelling and Simulations Programme. A theoretical physicist by training, Wolfram studies the stochastic morphodynamics of living systems: how cells and tissues change shape, fluctuate and use these dynamics to influence biological processes.
At HT, the Pönisch Group will combine data science, theoretical physics and biophysical modelling to investigate how shape noise affects cell and tissue behaviour across different systems, including neurons, immune cells and organoids. His work strengthens HT’s multi-scale approach to human biology, bringing new expertise to the interface of computation, physics and life sciences.
Wolfram, what inspired you to pursue a career in science? Did you always know you wanted to be a scientist?
I don’t really have a big real-life inspiration that inspired me to become a scientist. As a child, I loved reading about astronomy, and I watched a lot of Science Fiction or Science-based TV shows and documentaries. So, if anything, my closest inspirations were probably MacGyver and Jean-Luc Picard.
As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to become a scientist, although I never knew exactly what I wanted to research. As a teenager, I could not even decide between humanities and natural sciences. After finishing school, I initially studied archaeology, but on the very first day my professors told us that we would never find any research jobs in this field. The following year, I switched to physics, and I had the privilege of starting as an intern in a research group in cellular biophysics already during my second year at university.
That experience introduced me to the exciting world of biophysics, which at the time was still a relatively young and rapidly developing field, and I quickly fell in love with it. Over the years, I have had the opportunity to work with many amazing people and to learn from outstanding mentors during both my PhD and postdoc. Since then, I have never really imagined doing anything other than research.
What will you be working on at your Research Centre?
At the Computational Biology Research Centre, I am currently building a Group focused on biophysics, combining approaches from data science and theoretical physics. Our main goal is to understand the role of shape noise in biological systems. Cells and tissues constantly change and fluctuate in shape, and this noise is usually viewed as a hindrance to development. However, examples from physics suggest that noise can also be very useful, but there were only very few examples in biology that showed how cells might use noise. During my postdoctoral research, I showed that cell shape fluctuations can actually accelerate cell state transitions.
Building on this idea, my Group aims to investigate how shape noise influences biological processes across different systems. Since this is a very broad and interdisciplinary question, Human Technopole provides an excellent environment to study cell and tissue dynamics, particularly in neurons, immune cells, and organoids.
Tell us a bit more about your research. What is the most fascinating aspect of it?
A particularly exciting aspect of my work is its interdisciplinary nature. I lead a quantitative and theoretical research Group, and while we currently do not perform experiments ourselves, I have always collaborated very closely with experimentalists in my career. I strongly believe that the most exciting science emerges from a close feedback loop between theory and experiment.
What I also find fascinating is investigating biological systems with the mindset of a physicist. This means that I am not limited to studying just one or two model organisms or systems. Instead, I can look across a wide range of biological systems and search for common physical principles that might otherwise be overlooked in more traditional biological research. At the same time, I believe that biology can also teach us more about physics.
What is the most difficult aspect of doing research and how do you deal with it?
In biological research, it is often not clear what one will ultimately discover, and even the most beautiful or seemingly obvious hypothesis is frequently proven wrong. This means that it can be scary not knowing how a project will end when one is right in the middle of it. However, while this can be very frustrating, it is also extremely exciting. Often, one finds something completely new that could not have been imagined beforehand. It is a kind of general wisdom in academia that if you study something deeply enough, you will always find something fascinating. And I feel that the exciting thing about working at the interface of biology, physics, and data science is that one actually never needs to dig too deep to find something interesting.
Research can have many ups and downs, big successes but also disappointing moments. How do you find motivation when it is lacking?
First, in my experience it helps to talk to people who understand these experiences and can make you feel better after a conversation. Often these conversations lead to completely new ideas that not only solve the problem, but open completely new avenues! I am in the fortunate position of having met several mentors and friends with this skill. As a Group Leader, I aim to provide this kind of support to my Group members and colleagues.
At the same time, some disappointing moments can be overwhelming, and it can be difficult to stay motivated. In those situations, what usually helps me most is to take a step back, take a short break from research, or focus on something else for a while.
How did you learn about Human Technopole and what inspired you to apply?
I learned about Human Technopole a few years ago when it opened. I did my PhD in Dresden, and was familiar with the exciting science being done at the Max Planck Institute. At some point, some of these inspiring scientists (especially Gaia Pigino, Florian Jug, and Marino Zerial) all moved to this institute called Human Technopole. Even before I applied there, I visited its website and realized what a great place was being built in Milan. I never imagined that one day I would work there myself. But when my former PhD supervisor, Vasily Zaburdaev, shared the call for a Group Leader position in biophysical modelling, I knew that I had to apply.
Enough about work! Tell us one thing we could not find out about you from an online search?
My interest in archaeology has stayed with me over the years. Outside of work, I love visiting museums and exploring ancient and medieval cities together with my wife. One of the perks of working at HT is that I can live in such a fascinating and historic region!
