Ongoing research projects
Bacteria and biofilms
Bacteria aggregate into surface-associated three-dimensional structures called biofilms through complex physical and chemical cell-cell interactions and phenotypic changes. We investigate how physical forces and intercellular communication determine biofilm architecture and function.
A shear-induced limit on bacterial surface adhesion in fluid flow. [PNAS 2026]
Effective permeability conditions for diffusive transport through impermeable membranes with gaps. [Proc R Soc A 2026]
Motility-Induced Phase Separation Mediated by Bacterial Quorum Sensing. [Phys Rev Lett 2023]
Biophysical basis of filamentous phage tactoid-mediated antibiotic tolerance in P. aeruginosa. [Nat Commun 2023]
Emergent robustness of bacterial quorum sensing in fluid flow. [PNAS 2021]
Flow-induced symmetry breaking in growing bacterial biofilms. [Phys Rev Lett 2019]
Emergence of three-dimensional order and structure in growing biofilms. [Nat Phys 2019]
Biological pattern formation
Cells self-organise into spatially organized patterns essential for development and tissue function. We develop mathematical frameworks to model how pattern formation emerges from physical and chemical cell-cell interactions, as well as motility and chemotaxis.
Pattern formation along signaling gradients driven by active droplet behaviour of cell swarms. [PNAS 2025]
Universal dynamics of biological pattern formation in spatio-temporal morphogen variations. [Proc R Soc A 2023]
Blood flow in health and disease
Blood flow and solute transport through microvascular networks are critical for oxygen delivery and nutrient exchange. We use multiscale modeling and image-based computations to understand how vessel structure and fluid dynamics determine physiological function.
Suspension physics govern the multiscale dynamics of blood flow in sickle cell disease. [Sci Adv 2026]
Emergent clogging of continuum particle suspensions in constricted channels. [J Fluid Mech 2025]
Hydrodynamic interactions between rough surfaces. [Phys Rev Fluids 2024]
Feature tracking microfluidic analysis reveals differential roles of viscosity and friction in sickle cell blood. [Lab Chip 2022]
Physical and geometric determinants of transport in feto-placental microvascular networks. [Sci Adv 2019]
Image-Based Modeling of Blood Flow and Oxygen Transfer in Feto-Placental Capillaries. [PLoS ONE 2016]