People

Education

Ph.D. 2008, McGill University

Research Interests

Focusing on the interface of fluid and bio physics, our Fluids and Health Network (FHN) aims to elucidate the fundamental physical mechanisms with important applications in health and the environment, including water, food, and energy, in addition to the biophysics of transmission and control of pathogens in human, animal, and plant populations where drops, bubbles, multiphase biophysical process are at the core.

Key topics of research in the Fluid Dynamics of Disease Transmission Laboratory, in the Fluids and Health Network, include:

Fluid and Bio-Physics:

• Biophysics, complex and soft matter
• Interfacial flows: bubbles, drops and films
• Turbulence and multiphase flows
• Mixing, transport, and pathogen deposition and contamination
• Hydrodynamic instabilities, waves, fragmentation , and droplet formation and control
• Viscoelastic and biological fluids

Health and Environment:

• Physiology
• Infectious diseases
• Extreme environments and adaptation
• Environmental contamination and transport, air-water coupling and water, food, and energy nexus
• Healthcare and indoor environments

We use a combination of theoretical (applied mathematics, including differential equations, linear algebra, nonlinear dynamics, waves and stability) and experimental approaches (flow visualization, high speed imaging techniques, microscopy, image processing) to elucidate the fundamental physical mechanisms in the various domains of translation pertaining to health, food, water, and energy.

FHN:
Note that our FHN website is currently under re-development and is not currently up to date, whereas this page is.

Contact us at “FHN dot admin at mit dot edu” for inquiry about openings in our Fluids and Health Network for Staff, Postdoc, Graduate Researcher, and Intern positions, adding in the subject line [Inquiry about opening in the Fluids and Health Network] and with bgadmin@mit.edu in CC.

Awards and Honors

Selected, Awards, Prizes, Invited Distinguished Lectures or Fellowships:

• 2025, MathWorks Faculty Research Innovation Fellow Award, in recognition of mid-career faculty for outstanding research and leadership.
• 2025, Distinguished Lecturer, Imperial College London, UK
• 2024, Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award for creative and innovative investigators working on high impact ideas to generate breakthroughs and drive new directions in biomedical research.
• 2024, Sectional Keynote Lecturer, 26th International Congress of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics (ICTAM), Korea
• 2023, G.K. Batchelor Lecturer, DAMTP, University of Cambridge, UK
• 2023, Paul Gray Award for Public Service: For impact on the field of public health, specifically Prof. Bourouiba’s contributions in mitigating the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on society
• 2022, Elected American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) Fellow: For groundbreaking contributions to our fundamental understanding of unsteady fluid fragmentation and its application to the spread of contagious diseases. 

• 2022, Keynote Speaker, 14th European Fluid Mechanics Conference, Greece
• 2022, Plenary Speaker, 11th International Aerosol Conference, Greece
• 2022, Distinguished Speaker, Annual Meeting of the American Association for Dental, Oral, and Craniofacial Research (ADOCR)
• 2022, David Reinhoudt Lecture Award, Twente University, The Netherlands
• 2022, Keynote, Phyllosphere, 11th International Symposium on Leaf Surface Microbiology
• 2022, Plenary Speaker, Physics@Veldhoven, The Netherlands
• 2021, Elected American Physical Society (APS) Fellow: For fundamental work in quantitatively elucidating the mechanisms of droplet impact and fragmentation, and for pioneering a new field at the intersection of fluid dynamics and transmission of respiratory and foodborne pathogens, with clear and tangible contributions to public health.
• 2021, Senior Fellowship, Collegium Helveticum Institute for Advanced Studies, University of Zurich and ETH Zurich, Switzerland
• 2021, Plenary Speaker, Society of Industrial and Applied Mathematics (SIAM) – Annual Meeting
• 2021, Keynote Speaker, Micro and Nano Flows, UK
• 2021, Plenary Speaker, Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering Congress, Canada
• 2020, Plenary Lecture, American Physical Society – Division of Fluid Dynamics
• 2019, Sears Lecture, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
• 2019, Ole Madsen Mentoring Award, in recognition of conspicuous contributions to inspiring, mentoring, and educating students, MIT
• 2018, Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award, for creative and innovative junior investigators working on high impact ideas to generate breakthroughs and drive new directions in biomedical research.
• 2017, Foundation Aix-Marseille University, Professeur Invité Award, Institute of Research on Non-Equilibrium Dynamics (IRPHE), France
• 2014, Tse Cheuk Ng Tai’s Prize for Innovative Research in Health Sciences
• 2011, Sigma XI Full Membership award

Teaching

• Advanced Fluid Dynamics (2.26/1.63)
• Fluid Physics (8.292/12.330/1.066)
• Fluid Mechanics (1.060)
• Nonlinear Dynamics and Turbulence (18.358/2.033/1.068-1.686)
• Multivariable calculus (18.02)
• Differential equations (18.03)
• Linear Algebra (equivalent of 18.06 at MIT)
• Innovating for Mission Impact in Medicine and Healthcare (HST.974)
• Evolution of an Epidemic (HST.434)
• Fluids and Diseases (HST.537/2.250/1.063-1.631)
• Topics in Biophysics and Physical Biology (guest lecturer, 8.590/7.74/20.416)
• Undergraduate Seminars in Physical Applied Mathematics (guest lecturer, 18.384)
• Nonlinear Dynamics I (guest lecturer, 18.353/2.050/12.006)
• Engineering Solutions to Societal Challenges (guest lecturer, 1.008)

Online Courses: MIT Open Course Ware Scholar VIDEO Lectures
More: Other forums of teaching, outreach, and mentoring from K12 to the broader community-See HERE and HERE.

Publications

Most recent publications can be found on Google Scholar (with some context for older publications here.)
Video Gallery can be found here.  
Image Gallery can be found here.

Patents

Bourouiba, L., Lee, S., and Heldt, T., (2020) Cerebrospinal fluid space draining catheters. US Patent 12,551,670.
Bourouiba, L. (2021) “Respiratory system simulator systems and methods.” US Patent Application US17/405,007. 
Bustos, N. and Bourouiba, L., (2022) “Point-of-use devices and methods for determining rheological properties of samples.” US Patent Application 17/864,349.