I combine continuum mechanics and statistical physics to understand how small-scale processes govern large-scale failure and growth. The central question across my work is always the same: when does a stable system cross into instability, and can we predict it before it happens? My research spans the fracture of disordered solids, the damage mechanics of soft materials, and the force-generating machinery of living cells — approached through the shared toolkit of bifurcation theory, mean-field models, and finite-element simulation.