Our lab combines adhesion and tribology with modern polymers and surface coatings to understand soft interfaces in biology towards improving human health and accessibility. On the scale of cells, mechanical stiffness of cells and tissue can indicate diseases like fibrosis or osteoarthritis. On the scale of the human body, mechanical forces generated by friction form the tactile stimuli used to perceive touch. Here, we will show how leveraging soft matter phenomena like elastohydrodynamics and soft sliding friction can overcome existing challenges to access mechanical markers in disease modeling, or to develop new methods to control the sense of touch in haptic devices for people who are blind. We will conclude with some future directions where engineering of mechanical interfaces is the basis towards improving healthcare outcomes.