Viva is a postdoctoral fellow in physics who is building a dynamic artificial cell from the bottom up. The aim is to understand cellular processes, particularly intracellular transport, at a physical level by building simple, well-controlled systems that mimic the functions of a cell. In collaboration with the artificial cells team, Viva has created a simple artificial cell using a bilayer phospholipid vesicle containing Janus swimmers as microscale motors.

Previously, Viva has worked in the labs of David D. Awschalom, Oskar Painter, and Peter J. Collings. Viva earned her PhD at UC Santa Barbara, optically trapping nanoparticle diamonds and using the embedded nitrogen-vacancy centers as magnetic sensors in a fluidic environment. Her undergraduate research focused on optically characterizing a lyotropic chromonic liquid crystal.