Main Page
Richard M. Murray
Thomas E. and Doris Everhart Professor of
Control & Dynamical Systems and Bioengineering
California Institute of Technology
Quick Links:
Note: I am currently sabbatical through ~Dec 2026, and I am not starting any new students or postdocs in my group nor hosting visitors or SURF students during this time. If you are interested in the work we are doing in my group, I encourage you to take a look at some of my collaborators at Caltech.
Research
My group's research is in the application of feedback and control to networked systems, with applications in biology and autonomy. Current projects include design and implementation of synthetic cells and verification and testing of safety-critical systems (see my research overview for more details).
Active projects:
- Developer Cell: A modular, extensible chassis for building synthetic cells (Alfred P. Sloan Foundation)
- Design and Implementation of Multi-Component Synthetic Cells (ARO/ICB)
- Control of Functional Bioenabled Materials using Synthetic Cells (ARO/ICB)
- Center for Harnessing Microbiota from Military Environments (CHARMME) (ARO)
- Layered T&E for Safety-Critical Autonomous Systems (AFOSR)
- Rules of Composition in Synthetic Biology Across Scales of Complexity: Theory and Tools (AFOSR)
Group
Sal Ibarra* (BE)Matthieu Kratz* (BE)Leo Li* (CNS)Ioannis Mandralis* (AE)Zach Martinez* (BE)Nikos Mynhier* (BE)Miki Yun# (EAS)Han Zhang* (BE)* co-advised students + visiting researchers ° rotation students † undergraduates # research staff
Former graduate students:
- Manisha Kapasiawala - PhD in Bioengineering, Aug 2025
- Blade Olson* - PhD in Bioengineering, Aug 2025
- Elin Larsson - PhD in Bioengineering, May 2025
Ania Baetica (thesis)Dionysios Barmpoutis (thesis)Karena Cai (thesis)John Carson (thesis)Samuel Clamons (thesis)Benson Christalin#Nadine Dabby*Sumanth Dathathri (thesis)Emzo de los Santos (thesis)Ioannis Filippidis (thesis)Anthony Fragoso (thesis)Melvin Flores (thesis)Shaobin Guo (thesis)Sonja Glavaski*Josefine Graebener (thesis)Adam Hayes*Victoria Hsiao (thesis)Vanessa Jonsson (thesis)Reed McCardell (thesis)Joseph Meyerowitz (thesis)Michiel van Nieuwstadt (thesis)Ivan Papusha (thesis)James Parkin (thesis)Tung Phan (thesis)William Poole (thesis)Xinying (Cindy) Ren (thesis)Andrey Shur (thesis)Vipul Singhal (thesis)Zachary Sun (thesis)Anandh Swaminathan (thesis)Anu Thubagere* (thesis)Amber Thweatt#Jorge Tierno*Pete Trautman (thesis)Stephanie Tsuei#David van Gogh#Tony Vanelli# (thesis)Ophelia Venturelli (thesis)Rory Williams (thesis)Eric Wolff (thesis)Yong Wu (thesis)Enoch Yeung (thesis)# Masters or Engineers degree * Co-advised student
Former postdocs:
- Kazu Echigo (2025) - CMS Postdoctoral Fellow
- Yan Zhang (2022-24) - Presidential Postdoctoral Fellow
- Inigo Incer (2022-24) - CMS Postdoctoral Fellow
- Chelsea Hu (2018-22) - BE Postdoctoral Fellow
- Ersin Das (2021-22) - CMS Postdoctoral Fellow
Raktim Bhattacharya (2002-04)Brianno Coller (1995-97)Noel du Toit (2011)Chuchu Fan (2019-20)Samira Farahani (2014-15)David Garcia (2020-21)Jin Ge (2016-18)Leopold Green (2018-21)Sofie Haesaert (2016-18)Yutaka Hori (2013-16)Tamer Inanc (2002-04)Jongmin Kim (2010-14)Eric Klavins* (2001-03)Feng-Li Lian (2001-02)Jun Liu (2011-2012)Michaelle Mayalu (2017-22)Catherine McGhan (2014-16)John McManus* (2018-19)Yilin Mo (2013-15)Kristi Morgansen (1999-2001)Pascal Morin (1996-97)Yasamin Mostofi (2004-06)Reza Olfati-Saber (2001-04)Yizhar Or (2007-09)Necmiye Ozay (2010-13)Pavithra Prabhakar (2011-12)Nicolas Petit (2001-02)Vasu Raman (2013-15)Henrik Sandberg (2005-07)Shaunak Sen (2011-12)B. N. Shashikanth* (1998-2000)Dan Siegal (2012-15)Andrew Straw* (2010)Willem Sluis (1994-96)Herbert Streumper (1997-99)Ufuk Topcu (2008-12)
Additional group alumni: SURF Undergrads Visitors
Teaching
The list below is the courses that I have taught at Caltech (or at least most of them). The course links will take you to the (current) course homepage, where you can find the syllabus, handouts, and homework sets. The links for specific terms take you to the course homepage for that term. Links to older courses are available on a separate page.
- ACM/EE 116 - Probability and Random Processes (Fa11)
- BE 107 - Exploring Biological Principles Through Bio-Inspired Design (Sp15, Sp16, Sp19)
- BE 150/Bi 250b - Systems Biology (Wi11, Wi12, Wi13, Sp14)
- BE/EE/MedE 189a - Design and Construction of Biodevices (Fa24)
- Bi/BE/CS 183 - Introduction to Computational Biology and Bioinformatics (Wi24)
- CS/EE/ME 75 - Introduction to Multi-Disciplinary Systems Engineering (04-05, 06-07, 10-11, 15-16)
- CDS 90 - Senior Thesis in Control and Dynamical Systems (2004-2014, 2020-2024)
- CDS 101/110 - Analysis and Design of Feedback Systems (Fa97, Fa01, Fa02, Fa03, Fa04, Fa06, Fa07, Fa08, Fa12, Fa15, Sp24)
- CDS 112 - Optimization-Based Control (Wi98, Wi02, Wi03, Wi04, Wi06, Wi07, Wi08, Wi22, Wi23)
- CDS 131 - Linear Systems Theory (Fa18, Fa19, Fa20)
- CDS 140 - Differential Equations and Dynamical Systems (Wi11, Wi13, Wi14, Wi15)
- CDS 240 - Nonlinear Dynamical Systems (Sp14, Sp16)
- CDS 202 - Geometry of Nonlinear Systems (Wi93, Wi94, Wi04, Wi09, Sp13)
- CS 142 - Distributed Computing (Fa17, Fa19)
- CS 143 - Communication Networks (Fa18)
- CMS 273 - Frontiers in Computing and Mathematical Sciences (Wi19, Wi20, Wi21)
- E/SEC 103 - Management of Technology (Sp20, Sp23, Wi24, Wi25)
- Older courses (not taught in the last 15 years)
- Guest lectures - some individual lectures I have given in various courses
Contact
Mailing Address
Richard M. Murray
Control and Dynamical Systems 107-81
California Institute of Technology
1200 E. California Blvd
Pasadena, CA 91125 USA
Contact information
E-mail: murray@cds.caltech.edu
Office: 109 Steele Lab, (626) 395-6460
Asst: Nuvia Alvarez, x2464
Labs: 108, 116, 136 Keck