معرفی
Ketki Lichade serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University at Buffalo's School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, where she drives innovation in advanced manufacturing methodologies with applications spanning biomedical engineering and sustainable materials development.
Educational background:
- PhD in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois at Chicago (2023)
- BE in Mechanical Engineering, Savitribai Phule Pune University (2016)
Her research program centers on Advanced Manufacturing and Additive Manufacturing with specialized focus on process-structure-property relationships and bio-inspired design. She pioneers acoustic-assisted photopolymerization, direct ink writing, and multiscale manufacturing techniques to engineer functional materials with programmable adhesion and hierarchical structures. This work enables breakthroughs in conductive hydrogels for flexible electronics, bone-mimetic scaffolds for tissue engineering, and atmospheric water harvesting systems, fundamentally advancing the integration of materials science with precision manufacturing.
Analysis of her 15 most recent publications (2021-2025) reveals dominant innovation in acoustic assembly photopolymerization for bioinspired multifunctional materials. Key trends include rapid single-layer fabrication processes, multimaterial 3D printing with spatially controlled properties, and hierarchical porous structures that replicate natural systems. These contributions bridge mechanical engineering, fluid dynamics, and biomimetics to solve critical challenges in manufacturing speed, material functionality, and sustainability.
As principal investigator of the Advanced Manufacturing Lab, Dr. Lichade secures external funding for cutting-edge research in sustainable production methods and multifunctional material systems. She actively mentors graduate researchers while collaborating with industry partners to translate academic discoveries into industrial manufacturing solutions, particularly in medical device fabrication and environmental technology sectors.
The Advanced Manufacturing Lab team specializes in acoustic streaming, two-photon polymerization, and electrohydrodynamic printing techniques. Current initiatives focus on developing programmable adhesion surfaces for biomedical implants, scalable water vapor harvesting systems using biomimetic composites, and AI-driven process optimization for multimaterial additive manufacturing, positioning the lab at the forefront of next-generation sustainable manufacturing research.
