The research in our lab broadly pursues two themes: (1) How do physical properties of the cell and its environment influence biochemical signaling (with particular emphasis on the immune response) (2) How do physical properties of crosslinked actin networks in the cell determine mesoscopic cell mechanics, cellular force generation and force response in cells. In order to answer these scientific questions we use state of the art imaging for the visualization of internal protein dynamics at high spatial and temporal resolution, traction force microscopy for measurements of cellular forces simultaneously with signaling, and magnetic tweezers to physically perturb the system.