Research
My work focuses on the physics of dense suspensions as they pertain to complex fluids. These are systems where particles are packed tightly enough in a solvent that their collective behavior governs macroscopic flow. I am particularly interested in the transition between flowing and jammed states, and the role of contact forces and microstructure in driving shear thickening. I work in the Driscoll Lab at Northwestern University.
Dense suspensions can exhibit a dramatic, orders-of-magnitude increase in viscosity under applied stress, a phenomenon known as discontinuous shear thickening (DST). I am looking at how different suspensions behave approaching and beyond DST, with a focus on how suspension particle characteristics drive the transition from a flowing suspension to a near-solid state. This work uses bulk rheology and drop impact experiments to look at high-shear, free surface flows in dense suspensions.
The jamming transition — where a system of particles loses the ability to flow — is closely related to shear thickening in dense suspensions. I am exploring how proximity to the jamming point shapes the rheological response of dense suspensions under different flow protocols, and how transient dynamics near jamming connect to the steady-state phase behavior of these systems.
Before joining Northwestern, I worked with Dr. Paul Territo at the Stark Neurosciences Research Institute (Indiana University School of Medicine) on PET-based neuroimaging, tracer development, and mouse model development for translational research into Alzheimer's Disease (AD) and ADRD. This work involved quantitative imaging analysis, novel whole-brain network and connectivity approaches to metabolic and vascular dynamics in aging and diseased mice, preclinical models of neurological disease.