My Research

I am a postdoctoral researcher in the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering department at Johns Hopkins University. I enjoy studying complex fluid flow phenomena and am currently investigating drop-pinch off dynamics in the presence of surfactants in solution with my amazingly energetic and intellectual advisor,  Dr. Kathleen Stebe. The shape and dynamics of drops emerging from an orifice into a stagnant medium can be greatly modified by the presence of surfactants in the ambient fluid. Surfactants that accumulate at the interface between the two fluids can reduce the surface tension and lead to interesting shapes and sometimes even prevent drop pinch-off totally. I use numerical methods to theoretically study the complex interplay of kinetics and diffusion of surfactant molecules at and to the interface.

Prior to this, I completed my doctoral studies at Washington University in Saint Louis from the Energy, Environment and Chemical Engineering department working under the guidance of my two extremely motivated advisors, Dr. Khomami and Dr. Sureshkumar. I worked on developing a new model for predicting the macroscopic properties of dilute macromolecular solutions that relies on the accurate prediction of configurational dynamics of long chain molecules. Simplistic models which describe the macromolecules just as two beads connected by a spring (dumbbell models) have conventionally been used to describe macromolecules especially when simulating their behavior in complex flow geometries due to their ease of incorporation in large flow geometries. However, these descriptions are over-simplifications of the underlying configurational complexity that is characteristic of macromolecules. Incorporation of this configurational information is therefore crucial for obtaining accurate predictions of the dynamics of these molecules. The model I developed during my doctoral research bridges the gap between the configurational complexity that is required and the practicality of simplistic models by formulating a way to incorporate configurational information into dumbbell-based models. As with most PhDs, I have worked on several other projects during that time and you can find more information about them here.

My interest in fluid flow phenomena dates back to the days of my undergraduate studies. At the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Madras, I was initially introduced to basic concepts in transport phenomena as I studied to obtain my Bachelor of Technology degree in Chemical Engineering. As a part of my undergraduate thesis, I worked on studying the shapes of Taylor bubbles in tubes under the guidance of Dr. Sreenivas Jayanti.

Publications (click on the underlined number to view)

Resume

If you are a potential employer or generally interested in my research and experiences, take a look at my resume. You can contact me me via email or phone.

My hobbies

Outside my research interests, I also enjoy music and dance. I have learnt to sing Carnatic music (an Indian classical music form) and play the Indian violin for several years during my school days. After coming to the US, I learnt to play the western violin for a little while too. I have also learnt Bharatanatyam for 10 years and more recently, had a chance to learn the basics in Kathak. I also enjoy teaching and have tried to do a little bit of that during my undergraduate and graduate studies. I like swimming and playing squash and my newfound hobby is tennis (thanks to an outstanding instructor, Joel at the Rock Creek Tennis Center).

Contact Information

Email : vidya DOT ramani AT gmail DOT com