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Matthew Leighton’s PhD thesis, , examined the physics of molecular machines—nanoscale protein structures that fulfill key functions within the cells of living organisms—through the lens and language of information thermodynamics. His research helps to quantitatively understand how different molecular machines interact, and how the parts of a single molecular machine coordinate their activity, to accomplish complex tasks in living organisms such as material transport and maintenance of electrical and chemical balance.

His research helps us to better understand molecular machine performance, develops inference tools for learning about internal details of molecular machines, and uncovers design principles to guide future engineering of synthetic nanomachines.

David Sivak, Leighton’s supervisor sees a bright future for Leighton.

Says Sivak, “Simply put, through his independence, leadership, and mentorship Matt has throughout grad school operated as a shadow professor. With only minimal steering from me, he defined his research directions, learned the background literature and mathematical techniques, investigated different theoretical directions, derived novel relations and numerically verified them, scoured the experimental literature to catalogue comparisons, and crafted six impressively engaging yet rigorous manuscripts. This reflects his frankly breathtaking maturity and effectiveness.�

Sivak continues, “Matt is a remarkable scientist: in his graduate career he made several important research advances (published in the top Physics journals) and was richly decorated academically (including the Physics department’s highest award). He already conducts research at the sophistication and pace of tenure-track faculty.�

Says Leighton, “I am honoured to win this award as a capstone to my time at ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV. I owe much of my success to the support and guidance of my supervisor David. In addition to everything I learned about physics, writing, and more generally navigating the world of academia, David gave me total freedom to choose my own research adventure, and thus the space to grow into an independent scientist.â€�

Leighton is continuing his biophysics research as a Mossman Postdoctoral Fellow with the Quantitative Biology Institute at Yale University where he collaborates with researchers at Yale, Princeton, and the Flatiron Institute.