About
I am a theoretical physicist exploring the interface of soft matter and biophysics, with partiular interest in active matter, liquid crystals on curved surfaces, topological defects, morphogenesis, and the interplay between geometry and topology.
Starting Fall 2025, I will join the Niels Bohr Institute at the University of Copenhagen as an Assistant Professor. I am currently a postdoctoral fellow in the Physics of Living Systems group at MIT, working with Nikta Fakhri.
Previously, I was a postdoc at the Harvard Center of Mathematical Sciences and Applications, working with David Nelson and L. Mahadevan. I received my PhD in physics from the University of California, Santa Barbara, advised by Boris Shraiman. As a graduate student, I also collaborated with Cenke Xu on topological aspects of hard condensed matter physics and with Cristina Marchetti and Mark Bowick in soft matter physics. Earlier, I completed my AB in physics and mathematics at Harvard College, and participated in the Caltech LIGO SURF REU with Yanbei Chen.
I previously co-organized the Harvard CMSA Active Matter Seminar with David Nelson.
You can find my CV here.
Recent News
March 2025: I gave a talk at APS Global Physics Summit talk, based on upcoming joint work with Puskar Mondal and L. Mahadevan.
February 2025: I gave a talk at Soft Condensed Matter Seminar at Harvard, based on recent joint work with Amin Doostmohammadi.
February 2025: I gave a talk at SMaLS Seminar at UCSB, based on upcoming joint work with Puskar Mondal and L. Mahadevan.
Publications
Defect ground states for liquid crystals on cones and hyperbolic cones
FV, G. H. Zhang, D. R. Nelson, J. Phys. A: Math. Theor. 58 225003 (2025)
arXiv
Phase diagram, confining strings, and a new universality class in nematopolar matter
FV, Amin Doostmohammadi, arXiv (2025)
An efficient solution to Hidden Markov Models on trees with coupled branches
FV, Sahand Hormoz, arXiv (2024)
Periodic orbits, pair nucleation, and unbinding of active nematic defects on cones
FV, D. R. Nelson, Amin Doostmohammadi, Phys. Rev. E 109, 064606 (2024)
arXiv
Statics and diffusive dynamics of surfaces driven by p-atic topological defects
FV, L. Mahadevan, Soft Matter 19, 6652-6663 (2023)
arXiv
Active topological defect absorption by a curvature singularity
FV, D. R. Nelson, Amin Doostmohammadi, J. Phys.: Condens. Matter 35, 425101 (2023)
arXiv
Defect dynamics in active polar fluids vs. active nematics
FV, Soft Matter 42, 8087-8097 (2022)
arXiv
Active nematic defects and epithelial morphogenesis
FV, L. Mahadevan, Phys. Rev. Lett. 129, 048101 (2022)
arXiv
Defect absorption and emission for p-atic liquid crystals on cones
FV, G. H. Zhang, D. R. Nelson, Phys. Rev. E 106, 024704 (2022)
arXiv
Geometry and Dynamics of Active Topological Defects FV, Ph.D. Thesis (2021)
Fluctuations can induce local nematic order and extensile stress in monolayers of motile cells
FV, M. J. Bowick, B. I. Shraiman, M. C. Marchetti, Soft Matter 17, 3068-3073 (2021)
arXiv
Multi-defect dynamics in active nematics
FV, M. J. Bowick, M. C. Marchetti, B. I. Shraiman, arXiv (2020)
Symmetry-protected topological Hopf insulator and its generalizations
C. Liu*, FV*, C. Xu, Phys. Rev. B 95, 161116 (2017) (Editors’ Suggestion, Rapid Communication)
arXiv
Chern-Simons theory and Wilson loops in the Brillouin zone
B. Lian, C. Vafa, FV, S.C Zhang, Phys. Rev. B 95, 094512 (2017) (Editors’ Suggestion)
arXiv
* equal contribution