Meet the group!

Principal Investigator

Howard Stone
Howard A. Stone
Office: D328 E-Quad
Email: hastone[at]princeton.edu
Phone: 609-258-9493
Web
Fluid motions dominated by viscosity, so-called low-Reynolds-number flows, have many applications, including the lubricating motions important to the operation of mechanical equipment (and joints), coating flows important to a myriad of industrial applications, and flows and transport processes in microdevices (MEMS) that are finding many new applications owing to their use for handling small quantities of (possibly expensive) liquids and for manipulating polymers. The flow of many suspensions are also often dominated by viscous effects as are the way in which fluid moves in foams and dense colloidal suspensions. Professor Stone and his research group actively work on projects in each of these areas of fluid dynamics. Several of the projects combine theory and experiment in order to more fully explore the limits of both.

Another common theme of viscous flow theory being pursued by Professor Stone and his collaborators is the dynamics of fluid-fluid interfaces. This research includes analytical and numerical studies (often using integral equation methods) of (1) the stretching and breakup of fluid threads and (2) the effect of electric fields on drops and other fluid-fluid interfaces. Because a complete understanding of some viscously dominated flows (such as lift forces) may require incorporating the influence of inertia, Professor Stone also uses asymptotic methods to study flows at small, but finite, Reynolds numbers.

Many biologically inspired problems occur in the viscously dominated flow limit. Professor Stone has studied several problems concerning the flow of lipid monolayers and bilayers, and has investigated the motions of particles suspended in such interfacial layers. This research area is actively pursued by researchers at the interface of chemistry, physics and engineering.


Current Members

Janine Nunes
Janine Nunes
(Research scholar)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: nunes[at]princeton.edu
I am interested in the controlled synthesis and fabrication of novel micro-objects, such as microfibers and core-shell/hollow microspheres, using multiphase microfluidics to template the precursor liquid phases.


Maksim Mezhericher
Maksim Mezhericher
(Research-Staff)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: maksymm[at]princeton.edu
Web
My main research interests include: formation of submicron and nanodroplets, formation of nanoemulsions, production of nanoparticles, nanostructures, and coatings, transport phenomena and fluid mechanics of multiphase flows, heat and mass transfer, drying processes, and thermal, renewable, and nuclear energy.


Suin Shim
Suin Shim
(Post-doc)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: sshim[at]princeton.edu
Web
I’m interested in various interfacial flow problems and their applications. My research includes microfluidic studies on the effect of surfactants on CO2 bubble dissolution, migration of particles driven by CO2 dissolution, coalescence of liquid drops with Marangoni flow, and controlled evaporative cooling using a thin film flow of water.


Bernardo Gouveia
Bernardo Gouveia
(Graduate Student)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: bgouveia[at]princeton.edu Web
I am broadly interested in applying theoretical ideas from continuum transport and statistical mechanics towards understanding the behavior of complex fluids. Currently, I am working out a theory for the dynamics of microtubule suspensions in the prometaphase spindle. I am also thinking about flows of viscoelastic fluids in curvilinear geometries.


Jessica Wilson
Jessica Wilson
(Graduate Student)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: jlwthree[at]princeton.edu
I am interested in phoretic effects. I use soft-lithography techniques to make microfluidic devices with which I study the spontaneous movement of colloidal particles in chemical gradients. The spontaneous movement of a colloidal particle in a gradient of a solute is called diffusiophoresis.


Danielle Chase
Danielle Chase
(Graduate Student)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: dchase[at]princeton.edu
I am broadly interested in problems in fluid mechanics related to the coupling of fluid flow and elasticity, interfacial flows, and instabilities, specifically with applications to energy and environmental and geological systems. Currently, I am investigating the dynamics of fluid-driven fracture in a porous medium.


Paul R. Kaneelil
Paul R. Kaneelil
(Graduate Student)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: kaneelil[at]princeton.edu
My primary interest is in studying fluid mechanics problems that have biomedical applications. In the past, I have studied problems involving drop impact, bioink drop evaporation, and colloidal drop evaporation. Currently, I am studying an instability that occurs in a multiphase flow in a biomedical device.


Zehao Pan
Zehao Pan
(Post-doc)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: zehaop[at]princeton.edu
I am currently studying the rheology of hydrogel microfibers, especially its gelation behavior through mechanical interlocking. Such gelation method could become a new way for creating the scaffold for 3D cell culture without the use of cytotoxic chemicals. In the years as a PhD student, I used both theory and experiments to study nanoscale Ohmic heating, electrospray water-in-oil droplet generation and electrospray cell encapsulation for biomedical applications.


Boyang Qin
Boyang Qin
(Post-doc)
Office: Lewis Thomas Lab 343b
Email: bqin[at]princeton.edu
Bacteria demonstrate remarkable community behaviors mediated by the process of quorum sensing and the transport of small molecules under flow. The daily routines of Individual cells, such as matrix secretion, virulence, and dispersal from surfaces are often regulated by genetic circuits that depend on the state of the colony as a whole. In the Stone and Bassler lab, I’m interested in studying quorum sensing and group behaviors at the single-cell level. In particular, I want to investigate the biofilm growth architecture, dispersal dynamics, and material rheology when biofilms are subject to external flow perturbation, nutrient gradients, and alterations in matrix composition.


Niki Abbasi
Niki Abbasi
(Graduate Student)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: niki.abbasi[at]princeton.edu
I am interested in problems at the interface of soft matter, and fluid mechanics, which lead to developments in biotechnological applications. Currently, I am developing a system, based on aqueous polyphase systems, to generate microstructured fibres.


Marcel Louis
Marcel Louis
(Graduate Student)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: mmlouis[at]princeton.edu
My research interests encompass soft matter and fluid mechanics problems related to instabilities, wetting, surface tension effects, and elasticity. I am currently working on the thinning effect of a viscoelastic filament, and perhaps also characterizing instabilities that may occur.


Samantha McBride
Samantha McBride
(Post-doc)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: smcbride2[at]princeton.edu
Web
My background is in environmental, chemical, and mechanical engineering; and my research interests lie at the intersections between fluid physics, interfacial science, and phase change. I am particularly interested in development of new technologies for sustainable water treatment and desalination. My past research has explored the various patterns and wetting phenomena that arise during the evaporation of saline drops on materials with engineered wetting properties. I plan to continue research that explores the interactions between salt crystals and material interfaces.


James Roggeveen
James Roggeveen
(Graduate Student)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: jamesvr[at]princeton.edu
I am interested in applying mathematical techniques to obtain interesting theoretical descriptions of fluid phenomena and flows. Currently, I am working on problems related to particle motion and mixing at low Reynolds numbers.


Tejas Dethe
Tejas Dethe
(Graduate Student)
Office: J222 E-Quad
Email: tdethe[at]princeton.edu
Coming from a background in physics and pure mathematics, my research interests lie at the junction of fluid dynamics and material science as a theoretical approach to study the physics of soft condensed matter systems. Among other numerical or theoretical methods, I am most curious about applying symmetry and topological arguments to understand these systems. On the fluids side, I currently work on numerical simulations of multiphase separating systems coupled with hydrodynamic flow, and theoretical models for gel-fluid interaction problems. Beyond that, I have also been working towards understanding the effects of symmetry-breaking and non-trivial topologies on wave propagation in elastic metamaterials.


Junshi Wang
Junshi Wang
(Post-doc)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: junshi.wang[at]princeton.edu
I am broadly interested in fluid mechanics in biological systems. My past research has explored flow physics of biological locomotion (e.g., fish/invertebrate swimming, bird/insect flight) and biomedical applications, such as respiratory flow, snoring, and phonation. Currently, I will be exploring the fluid dynamics of speech.


Fernando Temprano-Coleto
Fernando Temprano-Coleto
(Post-doc)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: ftempranocoleto[at]
princeton.edu
My research interests lie at the intersection of fluid dynamics, physical chemistry and applied mathematics. During my PhD, I investigated the role of surfactants on the drag reduction performance of superhydrophobic surfaces, using a combination of theoretical, experimental, and computational work. Currently, I am mainly focused on the study of diffusiophoresis in fluid flows, with the ultimate goal of developing novel techniques aimed at the problem of microplastics in natural water. I am also broadly interested in transport problems related to energy and the environment.


Ashwin Ramachandran
Ashwin Ramachandran
(Post-doc)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: ashwinrc[at]princeton.edu
I am interested in understanding the mechanisms by which bacteria sense and respond to various mechanical environments such as fluid flow and porous media. Specifically, I am interested in understanding how the mechanical microenvironment shapes bacterial communities both at the individual and the community levels. To address these questions, I develop and combine techniques from molecular biology, biophysics, and engineering.


Ryungeun Song
Ryungeun Song
(Post-doc)
Office: G02 E-Quad
Email: rs4181[at]princeton.edu
I am interested in the fluid mechanics and interfacial flow in microfluidic systems. During my PhD, I have studied the generation of various types of emulsion droplets using 3D printed microfluidic systems, manipulating them using electrohydrodynamic flow, and optimizing various small-scale flows (e.g., blade coating, micro tip vortex, and hemodynamic flow). Currently, I will be exploring the fabrication of micro/nano-scale actuating device involving microtubules.


Meisam Zaferani
Meisam Zaferani
(Post-doc)
Office: 401 Schultz Laboratory
Email: mzaferani[at]princeton.edu
I am broadly interested in studying biological processes using physics style experimentation and quantitative modeling. In the Stone and Petry lab, I am trying to combine techniques from Molecular Biology, Physics and Engineering to understand the dynamics of microtubule growth and spindle assembly during cell division and design bioinspired nanomachines. For my PhD, I have studied mammalian sperm navigation within the female reproductive tract. In my free time I enjoy socializing, going out for a cup of coffee, and sharing experiences.


Barath Venkateswaran
Barath Venkateswaran
(Graduate Student)
Office: A307 EQuad
Email: bv7666[at]princeton.edu
I am broadly interested in studying interfacial fluid phenomena with a view toward emergent patterns. I am co-advised by Prof. Pierre-Thomas Brun of the Chemical and Biological Engineering department. Currently, I am investigating the interaction of viscous threads with a background flow. I am also studying elastomeric structures arising out of self-organization. In the past, I studied inertial effects on microswimmer motion.


Jonghyun Hwang
Jonghyun Hwang
(Graduate Student)
Office: G02 EQuad
Email: jonghyun[at]princeton.edu
My research interest is in fluid and soft matter mechanics. I am curious about how soft materials show forms and shapes as an outcome of various mechanical interactions. I've worked on shape deformation and pattern formation in polymers due to capillary action and diffusion. Currently, I am studying an interesting instability seen with viscoelastic gels.


Jun Eshima
Jun Eshima
(Graduate Student)
Office: G02 EQuad
Email: je2541[at]princeton.edu
I am interested in combining mathematics, physics and computation to fluid mechanics with a focus on the mass transfer between the ocean and the atmosphere (co-advised by Prof. Luc Deike). My current research interests include liquid sheet instabilities with Marangoni effects and sea spray aerosol generation due to film drops.


Pedro de Souza
Pedro de Souza
(Post-doc)
Office: G02 EQuad
Email: pdesouza[at]princeton.edu
I am interested in soft matter physics of charged colloids, especially in the context of cellular biophysics. Currently, I am working on the role of electrostatics in biomolecular condensate phase separation, wetting, and rheology, with applications to spindle assembly during cell division.


Rodolfo Brandão
Rodolfo Brandão
(Post-doc)
Office: G02 EQuad
Email: r.brandao[at]princeton.edu
I am broadly interested in the mathematical modelling of fluid flows. A major part of my research focuses on problems having discrepant time and length scales, whose analyses require the use of asymptotic techniques. Some of the topics I have worked on include droplet dynamics, self-diffusiophoresis, thin-film flows, elastohydrodynamics, and thermoviscous acoustics.


Past Members

  • Omar Yehia
  • Parisa Bazazi
  • Sadeq Saleh
  • Philippe Bourrianne (ESPCI Paris, phillippe.bourrianne[at]espci.fr, Web)
  • Evgeniy Boyko (Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, evgboyko[at]technion.ac.il, Web)
  • Ambika Somasundar
  • Christina Kurzthaler
  • Amir Pahlavan (Yale University, amir.pahlavan[at]yale.edu, Web)
  • Nan Xue (Post-doctoral researcher at ETH Zurich, nan.xue[at]mat.ethz.ch)
  • Estella (Yingxian) Yu (Web)
  • Francisco Cruz Mazo
  • Fan Yang
  • Ankur Gupta (University of Colorado Boulder, Ankur.Gupta[at]colorado.edu, Web)
  • Guang Chen
  • Judy Yang (University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, judyyang[at]umn.edu, Web)
  • Akanksha Thawani
  • Ya Gai
  • Ying Liu
  • Naomi Oppenheimer
  • Lailai Zhu (National University of Singapore, lailai_zhu[at]nus.edu.sg, Web)
  • Pawel J. Zuk
  • Antonio Perazzo
  • Jing Yan (Yale University, jing.yan[at]yale.edu)
  • Min Pack (Baylor University, Min_Pack[at]baylor.edu, Web)
  • Sara Chuang
  • Samuel Smiddy
  • Jie Feng (MechSE, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, jiefeng[at]illinois.edu, Web)
  • Bhargav Rallabandi (University of California, Riverside, bhargav[at]engr.ucr.edu , Web)
  • Ching-Yao Lai (Princeton AOS and GEO starting 2021, cylai[at]princeton.edu, Web)
  • Sandra Sowah
  • Nazish Shahid
  • Sepideh Khodaparast (Imperial College London, s.khodaparast[at]imperial.ac.uk)
  • Jan Guzowski
  • Naima Hammoud
  • Abby Grosskopf
  • Jesse Ault (Oak Ridge National Laboratory, aultjt[at]ornl.gov, Web)
  • Hyoungsoo Kim (KAIST, Web)
  • Sangwoo Shin (University of Hawaii at Manoa, sangwoos[at]hawaii.edu, Web)
  • Zhong Zheng (University of Cambridge, Web)
  • Orest Shardt
  • MinYoung Kevin Kim
  • Rachel Bergman
  • Andrew Sharo
  • Benedikt Sabass (Forschungszentrum Jülic, Web)
  • Shahriar Afkhami (New Jersey Institute of Technology, Web)
  • François Boulogne (research[at]sciunto.org, Web)
  • Jessica Shang (University of Rochester, Web)
  • Yong Lin Kong (yonglinkong[at]alumni.princeton.edu, Web)
  • Josephine Lembong
  • Shashi Thutupalli (National Centre for Biological Sciences, Bangalore, India, Web)
  • Eujin Um (IBS Center for Soft and Living Matter)
  • Francois Ingremeau
  • Hassan Masoud (Michigan Tech. hmasoud[at]mtu.edu, Web)
  • Jason Wexler (Otherlab), Web)
  • Alban Sauret (CNRS, alban.sauret[at]gmail.com)
  • Ian Jacobi (Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Web)
  • On Shun Pak (Santa Clara University, opak[at]scu.edu, Web)
  • Knut Drescher (Max Planck Institute for Terrestrial Microbiology, k.drescher[at]mpi-marburg.mpg.de, Web)
  • Talal Al-Housseiny
  • Margarita Staykova (Durham University, margarita.staykova[at]durham.ac.uk, Web)
  • Guy Ramon (Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, ramong[at]technion.ac.il, Web)
  • Ivan Christov (Los Alamos National Laboratory, christov[at]alum.mit.edu, Web)
  • Yi Shen (ETH Zurich)
  • Bo Sun (Oregon State University, sunb[at]physics.oregonstate.edu, Web)
  • Roseanna Zia (Cornell University, zia[at]cbe.cornell.edu, Web)
  • Matthieu Roche (CNRS-Universite Paris Sud)
  • Daniele Vigolo (ETH Zurich, daniele.vigolo[at}chem.ethz.ch, Web)
  • Camille Duprat
  • Philippe Trinh (University of Oxford, Philippe.Trinh[at}maths.ox.ac.uk, Web)
  • Manouk Abkarian (Centre national de la recherche scientifique, Manouk.Abkarian[at]um2.fr, Web)
  • Shelley Anna (Carnegie Mellon University, sanna[at]andrew.cmu.edu, Web)
  • Jeff Aristoff
  • Jacqueline Ashmore
  • Anand Bala Subramaniam (University of California Merced, asubramaniam[at]ucmerced.edu, Web)
  • Martin Bazant (MIT, bazant[at]mit.edu, Web)
  • Raymond Bergmann
  • Alex Bick (Harvard University Medical School)
  • James Bird (Boston University, jbird[at]bu.edu, Web)
  • John Bush (MIT, bush[at]math.mit.edu, Web)
  • Laurent Courbin (Université Rennes 1, laurent.courbin[at]univ-rennes1.fr)
  • Richard Day (Cambridge Consultants, richard.day[at]cambridgeconsultants.com)
  • Atray Dixit (Princeton University, adixit[at]princeton.edu)
  • Emilie Dressaire (NYU-Poly, dressaire[at]nyu.edu, Web)
  • Marc Durand
  • Magalie Faivre
  • Alison Forsyth (aforsyth[at]princeton.edu)
  • Samuel Gaudet
  • Cyprien Gay
  • Matthew Girardi (Princeton University, mgirardi[at]princeton.edu)
  • Laura Guglielmini (Stanford University, lauragug[at]stanford.edu)
  • Sascha Hilgenfeldt (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, sascha[at]illinois.edu, Web)
  • Douglas Holmes (Virginia Tech, dpholmes[at]vt.edu, Web)
  • Pilnam Kim (Korea Institute of Science and Technology)
  • Stephan Koehler (Worcester Polytechnic Institute, sak[at]wpi.edu)
  • Rebecca Kramer (Harvard University, rkramer[at]seas.harvard.edu)
  • Ann Lai (Investment Technology Group)
  • Ryan Larsen (University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, larsen[at]uiuc.edu)
  • Sigolene Lecuyer (Universite Joseph Fourier at Grenoble (France), Sigolene.Lecuyer[at]ujf-grenoble.fr)
  • Jinkee Lee (Brown University, Jinkee_Lee[at]brown.edu, Web)
  • Eric Lauga (University of Cambridge, e.lauga[at]damtp.cam.ac.uk, Web)
  • Stephen Lucas (James Madison University, lucassk[at]jmu.edu, Web)
  • Michael Manga
  • Rachel Pepper (University of California Berkeley, rachel.pepper[at]berkeley.edu, Web)
  • Thomas Powers
  • Mathilde Reyssat (ESPCI Paris, mathilde.reyssat[at]espci.fr, Web)
  • William D. Ristenpart (UC Davis, wdristenpart[at]ucdavis.edu, Web)
  • Laurence Rongy (Yale University, lrongy[at]ulb.ac.be)
  • Marcus Roper (Harvard University, mroper[at]seas.harvard.edu)
  • Roberto Rusconi (MIT, rrusconi[at]mit.edu)
  • Benoit Scheid (Université Libre de Bruxelles, bscheid[at]ulb.ac.be, Web)
  • Kiril Selverov
  • Amy Shen (University of Washington, amyshen[at]u.washington.edu, Web)
  • Todd Squires (UC Santa Barbara, squires[at]engineering.ucsb.edu)
  • John Tanzosh
  • Peichun Amy Tsai (University of Alberta), peichun.amy.tsai[at]ualberta.ca, Web)
  • Scott Tsai (Ryerson University, scott.tsai[at]ryerson.ca, Web)
  • Andre Valente (Universidade de Coimbra, andre.valente[at]biocant.pt)
  • Ernst van Nierop
  • Thomas Ward (UCLA, tward[at]math.ucla. edu)
  • Michael Weidman
  • Dengfu Zhang
  • Jiandi Wan (Rochester Institute of Technology, jdween[at]rit.edu, Web)
  • Wendy Zhang (University of Chicago, Web)

Past Visitors

  • Moran Wang (Tsinghua University, mrwang[at]tsinghua.edu.cn, Web)
  • So Nagashima (Osaka University, so.nagashima[at]ams.eng.osaka-u.ac.jp)
  • Remy Mensire (remy.mensire[at]polytechnique.org)
  • Katarzyna Somszor (NYU)
  • Eline Both (Wageningen University, eline.both[at]gmail.com)
  • Nicolas Autrusson
  • Helene Berthet (École Polytechnique)
  • Henrik Bruus (Technical University of Denmark, Henrik.Bruus[at]nanotech.dtu.dk)
  • Andreas Carlson (Harvard University, carlson[at]seas.harvard.edu)
  • Jolet De Ruiter (Wageningen Universiteit, jolet.deruiter[at]wur.nl)
  • Riëlle De Ruiter (Wageningen Universiteit, rielle.deruiter[at]wur.nl)
  • Guillaume Froehlicher (École Normale Supérieure de Cachan, guillaume.froehlicher[at]ens-cachan.fr)
  • Ian Griffiths (Oxford University, griffit4[at]maths.ox.ac.uk)
  • Martin Heller
  • Atefeh Khoshnood (Sharif University of Technology, atefeh.khoshnood[at]gmail.com)
  • Maxime Lanoy (ESPCI Paris)
  • Jiang Li (University of Science and Technology Beijing, jiangli[at]princeton.edu)
  • Xintong Li (The College of New Jersey)
  • Zhenzhen Li (ESPCI, zhenzhen[at]princeton.edu)
  • Kristian Smistrup
  • Stephen Wilson (University of Strathclyde, s.k.wilson[at]strath.ac.uk, Web)