Pedro J. Sáenz

Pedro J. Sáenz is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (UNC-Chapel Hill). He directs the Physical Mathematics Laboratory (PML), which explores physical applied mathematics and fluid mechanics through interdisciplinary collaboration between theoretical and experimental approaches.

• M.Sc & B.Sc, University of La Rioja, 2008
• Ph.D., University of Edinburgh, 2014
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Imperial College London, 2015
• Instructor in Applied Mathematics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), 2015–2019
• Assistant Professor, UNC-Chapel Hill, 2019–present

His research bridges physics, applied mathematics, and engineering, focusing on hydrodynamic quantum analogs, soft/active matter, and nonequilibrium physics. Key themes include wave-particle interactions, symmetry breaking, and self-propulsion mechanisms in classical systems.

Recent publications highlight universal scaling laws in fluid dynamics, quantum-classical analogs in pilot-wave systems, and symmetry-driven phenomena in Faraday waves and droplet localization. These works integrate mathematical theory with experimental validation.

• 2025 Kavli Fellowship
• NSF CAREER award (2021)
• Alfred P. Sloan Fellowship (2023)
• Van Dyke Gallery of Fluid Motion Award (2022)
• APS Gallery of Fluid Motion Award (2024)

Pedro's lab (PML) trains students and researchers in theoretical modeling, numerical simulations, and experimental design. His work has secured major grants, including the NSF CAREER award, and has been featured in Nature, Science Advances, and Physical Review X.