Prof. Lydia Bourouiba

Professor Bourouiba directs a Biological Safety Level 2+ Laboratory with unique capabilities of control of airflow, moisture, and temperature conditions. The laboratory joins uniquely physical interfacial flows and microbiology to understand and develop new methods of control of contamination at various scales.

The laboratory specializes in developing innovative imaging techniques to elucidate fundamental mechanisms shaping interfacial flows, fluid-fragmentation and sprays, fluid-surface interactions and wetting, multiphase and complex flows and transport, including of biological organisms in a range of contexts as they pertain to health and contamination.

Professor Bourouiba is interested in a range of applications, spanning a range of industries, involving both modeling and data and experimental projects involving spray, atomization, drug delivery and monitoring, and health and decontamination or contamination mitigation solutions.

In 2019, Professor Bourouiba founded and chaired the inaugural Fluids and Health Conference: Fluid dynamics of disease transmission to foster the growth of this exciting frontier area of research beyond the Bourouiba Group and define important key challenges at the interface of fluid dynamics and epidemiology/public health. She subsequently founded and Chaired the Gordon Research Conference focused on Fluids and Health: Fluids in Disease Transmission and Contamination held in August 2022 to continue growing this critical frontier domain of research.