Dr. Pallab Sinha Mahapatra

Principal investigator

Dr. Pallab Sinha Mahapatra

Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras

The Multiscale Multiphysics Group develops fundamental and application-driven understanding of fluid interfaces, microfluidic platforms, engineered wetting surfaces, phase-change transport, and active or collective matter.

OfficeRoom No. FF5, Micro Nano Bio Fluidics Unit
DepartmentMechanical Engineering, IIT Madras
Phone+91-44-2257-4692 (O)

Biography

Dr. Pallab Sinha Mahapatra received his Ph.D. and B.E. from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University in 2014 and 2007, respectively. His research spans surface engineering and wettability patterning, open-surface microfluidics, multiphase flows, thermal management, and collective dynamics.

At IIT Madras, the group trains students to combine experiments, diagnostics, materials thinking, and theory so that interfacial transport problems can be studied from both fundamental and applied perspectives.

Postdoctoral Experience

  • Postdoctoral researcher, University of Illinois at Chicago, USA, October 2014 to September 2016.
  • Institute postdoc, Department of Applied Mechanics, IIT Madras, November 2016 to March 2017.

Awards & Honours

  • V. Ganesan Faculty Fellowship, 2023
  • Early-Career Level Institute Research and Development Award, 2022
  • SERB Early Career Research Award, 2019
  • ISEES Young Scientist Award, 2017
  • Institute Postdoctoral Fellowship, IIT Madras, 2016
  • CSIR Senior Research Fellowship, 2012

Professional Membership

  • Life member, Indian Society for Heat and Mass Transfer
  • Life member, International Society for Energy, Environment and Sustainability
  • Regular member, American Chemical Society
  • Member, American Physical Society

Visiting Faculty Positions

  • Visiting faculty, University College London, United Kingdom, 2023.
  • Visiting faculty, Tokyo University of Science, Japan, 2025.

International network

Collaborators

The group collaborates with researchers working across fluid mechanics, interfacial transport, wetting, active matter, and thermal sciences.

Prof. Manish K. Tiwari

Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London, United Kingdom

Prof. Constantine M. Megaridis

Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, University of Illinois Chicago, USA

Prof. Fernando Peruani

Laboratory of Theoretical Physics and Modeling, CY Cergy Paris Universite, France

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Cameron Tropea

Retired, Fachgebiet Stroemungslehre und Aerodynamik, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Germany

Prof. Sunghwan (Sunny) Jung

Professor and Director of Graduate Studies, Biological and Environmental Engineering, Cornell University, USA

Prof. Yutaka Sumino

Faculty of Advanced Engineering, Department of Applied Physics, Tokyo University of Science, Japan

National network

National Collaborators

Collaborations within India connect the group with researchers in thermal sciences, microfluidics, applied mechanics, chemical engineering, and interfacial transport.

Prof. Arvind Pattamatta

Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Madras

Prof. Tuhin Subhra Santra

Department of Engineering Design, IIT Madras

Prof. Subhadeep Mondal

Department of Mechanical Engineering, IISc Bengaluru

Prof. Sarith P. Sathian

Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering, IIT Madras

Prof. Mahesh Panchagnula

Department of Applied Mechanics and Biomedical Engineering, IIT Madras

Prof. Sankha Karmakar

Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras

Prof. Achintya Mukhopadhyay

Department of Mechanical Engineering, Jadavpur University

Prof. Ranjan Ganguly

Department of Power Engineering, Jadavpur University

Prof. Soumyadip Sett

Department of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Gandhinagar