Henry Shum

Henry Shum is an Associate Professor in the Department of Applied Mathematics at the University of Waterloo. He holds a D.Phil. in Mathematical Sciences from the University of Oxford (2012) and an M.Math.Phys. from the University of Warwick. His research focuses on fluid dynamics and biological systems, including microorganism motility, bio-inspired microrobotics, and chemomechanical coupling in synthetic systems. He has held postdoctoral positions at the University of Oxford and University of Pittsburgh.

Research interests span modeling microscale fluidic systems, such as bacterial swimming, sperm motility, and active droplet behavior. Collaborations include studies with institutions like Florida State University, McGill University, and the New Jersey Institute of Technology. His work combines numerical methods (e.g., boundary element simulations) with theoretical analysis to understand propulsion mechanisms and design controllable microswimmers.

Key areas of exploration include:

• Hydrodynamic interactions in confined environments
• Polymorphic transitions in bacterial flagella
• Chemically driven self-organization in artificial cells
• Controllability of microparticle systems

Recent publications emphasize advancements in microrobot design, hydrodynamic control mechanisms, and synthetic quorum sensing systems. His research bridges applied mathematics, biophysics, and engineering to address challenges in microscale fluid dynamics and biomimetic systems.