Mithun Chowdhury

Mithun Chowdhury is an Associate Professor in the Department of Metallurgical Engineering and Materials Science (MEMS) at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay (IIT Bombay). He leads the Lab of Soft Interfaces, focusing on experimental soft matter with an emphasis on polymer dynamics, interfacial phenomena, and non-equilibrium systems. His interdisciplinary work bridges physics, chemistry, and materials science, and he actively mentors PhD students in these areas.

• Current Position: Associate Professor, IIT Bombay (2023–present)
• Previous Position: Assistant Professor, IIT Bombay (2018–2023)
• Postdoctoral Experience: Princeton University, University of St Andrews, Trinity College Dublin
• Education: Ph.D. in Physics (University of Freiburg), M.Sc. in Chemistry (University of Calcutta)

His research interests include polymers at nanoscale interfaces, self-propelling droplets, active matter, stability of glassy polymer thin films, and responsive polymer dynamics. He employs experimental techniques such as optical microscopy, spectroscopy, and rheology to probe fundamental questions in soft condensed matter.

Dr. Chowdhury has received prestigious awards including the Ramanujan Fellowship (2018) and the Early Career Research Award (2019). He is also a member of the Editorial Board of Communications Physics.

• Ramanujan Fellow 2018
• Early Career Research Award 2019

He teaches advanced courses such as Advanced Concepts of Polymer Science and Engineering, Advanced Composites, and Colloid and Interface Science. His lab welcomes motivated students from physics, chemistry, chemical engineering, and materials science backgrounds.

The Lab of Soft Interfaces fosters a collaborative and curiosity-driven environment, focusing on fundamental scientific questions with potential technological impact. The group explores topics such as nanoparticle-polymer interactions, dewetting dynamics, and entropy-driven phenomena in confined systems.