Amit Pathak

Professor Amit Pathak is a faculty member in the Department of Mechanical Engineering & Materials Science at Washington University in St. Louis's McKelvey School of Engineering. His research focuses on mechanobiology, particularly the interplay between cells and their microenvironments. He joined the university in 2013 as an assistant professor and holds a PhD from the University of California, Santa Barbara, and a B.Tech/M.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay.

• Education:
• PhD in Mechanical Engineering, University of California, Santa Barbara (2008)
• B.Tech/M.Tech, Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay (2002)

His research interests include biomechanics, biomaterials, and computational modeling. Notable work explores how mechanical properties of 3D matrices influence cell behavior, with applications in cancer metastasis and tissue engineering. Recent studies include NIH-funded investigations into epithelial cell mechanical memory and redefining conventional models of cell migration forces.

Professor Pathak has received prestigious awards, including the NSF CAREER Award (2015) and Mallinckrodt New Investigator Award (2014). His lab, located in Jubel Hall, integrates micro-fabrication, hydrogel synthesis, and advanced measurement tools to address complex biological problems. He has been recognized for patents and entrepreneurship through the university's Office of Technology Management.