Curriculum Vitae

General Research Interests

My research develops theoretical and computational frameworks for biological soft matter, focusing on how non-equilibrium processes shape material properties. I combine statistical physics, continuum mechanics, and computational modeling to study biomolecular condensates, fiber formation, and DNA organization.

Professional Experience

Education

Publications

First/Corresponding Author

• Fluctuation-Response Theory of Non-Equilibrium Complex Fluids
  R. Takaki and Frank Jülicher.
  Physical Review X (Oct. 2026).
• Active Loop Extrusion guides DNA-Protein Condensation
  R. Takaki, Yahor Savich, Jan Brugués, and Frank Jülicher.
  Physical Review Letters 134.12 (2025), p. 128401.
• Sequence complexity and monomer rigidity control the morphologies and aging dynamics of protein aggregates
  R. Takaki and Dave Thirumalai.
  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 121.50 (2024), e2409973121.
• Theory of Rheology and Aging of Protein Condensates
  R. Takaki, Louise Jawerth, Marko Popović, and Frank Jülicher.
  PRX Life 1 (Aug. 2023), p. 013006.
• Information flow, gating, and energetics in dimeric molecular motors
  R. Takaki, Mauro L Mugnai, and D Thirumalai.
  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 119.46 (2022), e2208083119.
• Theory and simulations of condensin mediated loop extrusion in DNA
  R. Takaki, Atreya Dey, Guang Shi, and Dave Thirumalai.
  Nature Communications 12.1 (2021), p. 5865.
• How kinesin waits for ATP affects the nucleotide and load dependence of the stepping kinetics
  R. Takaki, Mauro L Mugnai, Yonathan Goldtzvik, and D Thirumalai.
  Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 116.46 (2019), pp. 23091–23099.

Co-Author

• Fibers and Glasses are Competing Material States in Protein Condensation
  Liru Feng, R. Takaki, Muntz Iain, Lionel Ndamb, Martine Ruer-Gruß, Frank Jülicher, and Louise Jawerth.
  Accepted in Nature Physics (2026).
• Structural changes in chromosomes driven by multiple condensin motors during mitosis
  Atreya Dey, Guang Shi, R. Takaki, and Dave Thirumalai.
  Cell Reports 42.4 (2023).

Under Review

• Loop Extrusion Reversal by Condensin Motor is Mediated by Catch Bonds
  Dey Atreya, Shi Guang, R. Takaki, and Thirumalai D.
  arXiv preprint arXiv:2605.04482 (2026); Under review.

Book Chapter

• Introduction to Stochastic Kinetic Models for Molecular Motors
  Mauro L. Mugnai, R. Takaki, and D. Thirumalai.
  Physics of Molecular and Cellular Processes. Springer International Publishing, 2022, pp. 117–146.

For a complete list of citations, please visit my Google Scholar profile.

Teaching Experience

Conferences / Presentations

Talks

• Statistical Physics Youth Communications 2026 (2026, Online)
• Soft Matter, Complex Fluids, Interfaces 2026 (2026, Quy Nhon, Vietnam)
• Invited research presentation (2026, Oxford University, UK)
• DPG Spring Meeting (2026, Dresden, Germany)
• Invited research presentation (2025, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, online)
• Physics of Life day (2023, Dresden, Germany)
• Soft matter seminar at Kyushu university (2023, Fukuoka, Japan)
• APS March Meeting (2023, Las Vegas, USA)
• The Molecular Biology Society of Japan (Invited) (2022, Tokyo, Japan)
• iPoLS district meeting (2019, Rice university, USA)
• Nonlinear science research meeting (2015, Waseda university, Japan)

Posters

• Driven and active amorphous matter (2025, Göttingen, Germany)
• StatPhys29 (2025, Florence, Italy)
• Mechanics of Life II Workshop (2023, New York, USA)
• 7th Edwards Symposium (2023, Cambridge, UK)
• Annual Biophysical Society meeting (2020, San Diego, USA)
• GRC: Stochastic Physics in Biology (2019, Ventura, USA)

Fellowships / Grants

• Japan Society for the Promotion of Science: 6,278,000 (JPY)/year 2022-2024
• Shigeta Kyoiku Zaidan (Japan): 2,400,000 (JPY)/year 2017-2018

Awards

• Alexei Likhtman Poster Prize - 7th Edwards Symposium 2023, UK