When biological cells contract, migrate, or divide, they physically push and pull against other cells and the biological materials surrounding them. Professor Notbohm's research group studies the mechanics of these cell-cell and cell-material interactions using both living cells and nonliving fibrous materials. This work draws from a number of fields including engineering mechanics, soft matter physics, applied mathematics, and cell biology. He focuses primarily on the mechanical mechanisms underlying the cell and material behavior. Understanding these basic mechanisms will lead to new disease treatments and new approaches in tissue engineering.