Nikhil Desai

Dr. Nikhil Desai is a Research Fellow in the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP) at the University of Cambridge, UK. He holds a PhD from Purdue University (2019), an M.Tech. in Thermal Science from IIT Kharagpur (2014), and a B.Tech. in Mechanical Engineering from the same institute. His research focuses on fluid dynamics at microscales, particularly modeling biological systems like mucus flow in sinuses and active matter such as chemically-driven droplets. He investigates interactions between hydrodynamics, chemistry, and biological processes, including biofilm formation, bacterial colonization, and buoyancy-driven flows in cells. His work combines applied mathematics, numerical analysis, and experimental insights. Prior to Cambridge, he worked at LadHyX, École Polytechnique, France, studying self-propulsion mechanisms of active colloids. He has published extensively in journals like Physical Review Fluids, Soft Matter, and PLoS ONE.

Research interests include micro-swimmer hydrodynamics, biofilm dynamics, and computational modeling of biological fluid flows. His current projects involve simulating mucus clearance mechanisms in human sinuses and analyzing confined active droplet propulsion. He also explores natural convection in cellular environments and the role of chemotaxis in microbial foraging.

Dr. Desai’s publications span theoretical and applied fluid mechanics, with a focus on interdisciplinary applications. His recent work highlights advancements in understanding active matter systems and biomedical fluid dynamics. He actively collaborates with Prof. Eric Lauga at DAMTP and Prof. Sébastien Michelin at École Polytechnique. Teaching interests include fluid mechanics, with a focus on pedagogical dissemination of complex concepts.