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Lydia Bourouiba

Lydia Bourouiba
  • Title Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
  • Email lbouro@mit.edu
  • Faculties Climate, Environment & Life Science
  • Address Room 1-363B
  • Telephone 617.324.7745
  • Research Website https://lbourouiba.mit.edu/
  • Assistant Michelle McManus | mcmanus1@mit.edu

Education

Ph.D. 2008, Theoretical and numerical study of homogeneous rotating turbulence, McGill University

Research

Focusing on the interface of fluid dynamics and epidemiology, the Bourouiba Group aims to elucidate the fundamental physical mechanisms shaping the transmission dynamics of pathogens in human, animal, and plant populations where drops, bubbles, multiphase and complex flows are at the core.

Key topics of research in the Fluid Dynamics of Disease Transmission Laboratory include:

Pathogen-Fluid Interaction:

  • Interfacial flows: pathogen-fluid interactions in bubbles, drops and films
  • Fluid fragmentation and droplet formation leading to air contamination
  • Turbulence and multiphase flows
  • Mixing, transport, and pathogen deposition and contamination
  • Hydrodynamic instabilities and waves
  • Viscoelastic and biological fluids

Health, Disease Transmission:

  • Contact dynamics and pathogen transport
  • Nosocomial diseases, respiratory diseases, waterborne diseases, and foliar diseases
  • Disease transmission and contamination in indoor environments, including hospitals.

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 of transmission of nosocomial diseases, respiratory diseases, waterborne diseases, and foliar diseases where fluids are ubiquitous and to design and formulate new control strategies.

More on research here and publications here.

Teaching

  • Fluid dynamics and disease  (1.0631-1.631/HST.537/2.250 at MIT)
  • Nonlinear dynamics and turbulence (1.068-1.686/18.358/2.033 at MIT)
  • Nonlinear dynamics II: continuum systems (1.062/18.354/12.207 at MIT)
  • Multivariable calculus (18.02 at MIT)
  • Differential equations (18.03 at MIT)
  • Linear algebra (equivalent of 18.06 at MIT)
  • Undergraduate seminars in physical applied mathematics (guest lecturer,  18.384 at MIT)
  • Nonlinear dynamics I (guest lecturer, 18.353/2.050/12.006 at MIT)

More on teaching here.