Christiana Mavroyiakoumou

Christiana Mavroyiakoumou is a Courant Instructor/Assistant Professor at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences, New York University. She specializes in fluid dynamics and fluid-structure interactions, with a focus on vortex dynamics, membrane flutter, and bio-inspired systems. Her research integrates modeling, numerical simulations, and experimental insights to study phenomena such as bird flock formations and fish swimming hydrodynamics. Mavroyiakoumou holds a Ph.D. from the University of Michigan (2022), an M.Sc. from the University of Oxford (2017), and a B.Sc. from Imperial College London (2016).

• Education:
  • PhD in Applied & Interdisciplinary Mathematics, University of Michigan (2017–2022)
  • MSc in Mathematical Modeling and Scientific Computing, University of Oxford (2016–2017)
  • BSc in Mathematics, Imperial College London (2013–2016)

Her research interests span fluid-structure interactions, vortex dynamics, and collective locomotion. She investigates how fluid flows mediate interactions between bodies, such as the aerodynamics of bird formations and the hydrodynamics of flapping foils. Her work bridges theoretical models with experimental observations, contributing to both fundamental science and bio-inspired engineering.

Mavroyiakoumou has received prestigious awards including the Joseph B. Keller Fellowship (NYU), Peter Smereka Award (U-M), and ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation (U-M). She actively engages in academic service, organizing conferences and mentoring students. Her teaching experience includes courses on mathematical modeling, differential equations, and algebra at NYU and the University of Michigan.

• Key Research Themes:
  • Flow-mediated collective behavior and instability mechanisms
  • Vortex wake interactions and their role in locomotion
  • Membrane dynamics in inviscid and viscous flows

She collaborates with experimentalists like Leif Ristroph and Jun Zhang at NYU's Applied Math Lab, focusing on experimental validation of theoretical models. Her recent work explores self-amplifying waves in bird formations and the aerodynamic origins of flight coordination.