David Saintillan

David Saintillan is the Principal Investigator of the Saintillan Research Group, leading a team focused on fundamental fluid mechanics involving complex fluids and flows at small scales. His research integrates modeling, theory, and numerical simulations to study microstructure-fluid interactions in systems like particle suspensions, biopolymers, and swimming microorganisms. Key interests include multiphysics phenomena, hydrodynamic interactions, and large-scale computational analysis, with applications in biophysics, environmental science, and engineering.

Recent work emphasizes active nematics, interfacial dynamics, and self-organized systems, as seen in publications such as Active nematic fluids on Riemannian two-manifolds (2025) and Self-organized dynamics of a viscous drop (2025). Tanumoy Dhar, a former advisee, defended his PhD on active-passive particle interactions (April 2025). The group has presented at major conferences like the APS Global Physics Summit (2025) and published in high-impact journals like Proceedings of the Royal Society A.

Scientific contributions span fluid film stability, electrohydrodynamics, and biophysical systems, with a focus on interdisciplinary approaches combining theory and experimentation. The team’s work often bridges applied mathematics and engineering, addressing unresolved challenges in complex fluid dynamics.