Tissue structure emerges through the process of self-organization. We aim to build a bottom-up understanding of tissue self-organization by studying the biophysical properties of single cells and their interactions. We seek cross-cutting principles by working in organ systems as diverse as the mammary gland, intestine, pancreas and blood. Our long-term goal is to leverage a detailed understanding of tissue self-organization for applications in regenerative medicine, disease modeling, and therapeutics discovery. Current projects aim to elaborate statistical mechanical models of tissue structure, reveal active mechanical mechanisms of tissue patterning, and develop new tools to systematically measure and engineer the structure of tissues both in vitro and in vivo.