The behavior of multicellular tissues arises from the coordinated actions of their individual cells. In living organisms, these cell populations interact with their surrounding microenvironment, which includes both physical and biochemical signals from the extracellular matrix and neighboring tissues. An experimental team at PCC studies how collective cell migration is affected by different multiscale guiding cues in vitro. When plated on an adhesive surface, the cells' intrinsic activity generates spontaneous, large-scale collective flows. By designing various well-defined microfabricated surfaces, the team studies how subcellular and supracellular guiding cues control the properties of collective migration. The theory group at PCC has expertise in using active-gel theory—a particular branch of active-matter theory—to describe out-of-equilibrium biological active matter. The aim of this internship will be to study migration patterns in populations of cells using the general framework of active-gel theory.