Associate Professor
Lydia Bourouiba
Interests
- Biophysics, Fluid physics
- Interfacial flows, instabilities, mixing, phase change, fluid fragmentation
- Theory, numerics, experimental developments
Professor Bourouiba News + Media
Covid-19 diagnostic based on MIT technology might be tested on patient samples soon
A variety of MIT research projects could aid efforts to detect and prevent the spread of coronavirus.
Bursting bubbles launch bacteria from water to air
A new study from Assistant Professor Lydia Bourouiba shows how bubbles contaminated with bacteria can act as tiny microbial grenades, bursting and launching microorganisms out of the water and into the air.
New theory describes intricacies of a splashing droplet
Researchers have captured extremely fine details in a droplet as it splashes and creates a classic, crown-like sheet of fluid.
Faculty Details
Education
-
2008
MCGILL UNIVERSITY
Ph.D.
Research Interests
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.
Bio
Prof. Lydia Bourouiba received her PhD from McGill University in 2008, working on turbulence and geophysical applications. Bourouiba is promoted to the rank of full Professor, effective July 1, 2025. A physical applied mathematician by training, her research interests span a broad range of fundamental to applied curiosity-driven questions in fluid physics, biophysics and mathematical modeling. They typically involve fluid physics across scales from turbulence, interfacial, and complex biofluids, to soft matter and porous media, and how these phenomena interact with chemical and biological mechanisms to shape emergence, transport, and adaptation of microorganisms in human, animal, and plant populations, or life itself. A key signature of her scientific approach is the iterative co-development of experimental methods and theory/numerics. Her recent work focused on the multi-scale dynamics of unsteady fluid fragmentation, drops and bubbles, and phase transitions relevant to addressing important industrial, energy, food, environmental, contamination, and health challenges. Prof. Bourouiba mentoring and scholarship have been recognized by a range of scientific communities including through the Ole Madsen Mentoring Award, the Tse Cheuk Ng Tai’s Prize for Innovative Research in Health Sciences, the Smith Family Foundation Odyssey Award for high-risk/high-reward basic science research, and the G.K. Batchelor Lectureship at the Department of Applied Mathematics and Theoretical Physics (DAMTP), University of Cambridge. She is an elected Fellow of the American Physical Society (2021) and of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering in (2022).
More on the Fluids and Health Network and our team and goals: HERE and HERE
Learn more here on bio and background.
Online Data
News Archive can be found here, and here.
Recent highlihts from the Smith Family Foundation. Bourouiba was the recipient of Smith Family Foundation Odyseey Award for creative and innovative investigators working on high impact ideas to generate breakthroughs and drive new directions in biomedical research.
This video from the Smith Family highlights the FHN's research thurst in the biophyiscs of pathogen and contaminant transport and transmission:
Examples of research areas: from fundamental fluid and biophysics to translation:
https://news.mit.edu/2025/study-tuberculosis-protective-genes-during-airborne-transmission-0310
https://news.mit.edu/2025/high-speed-videos-show-what-happens-when-droplet-splashes-pool-0221
https://cee.mit.edu/bourouiba-awarded-national-science-foundation-grant-to-co-launch-a-research-center-focused-on-pandemic-prevention/
https://cee.mit.edu/fluid-pathogen-interaction-shape-contamination/
https://cee.mit.edu/professor-lydia-bourouibas-research-influences-new-world-health-organization-guidelines-for-respiratory-infectious-diseases/
https://news.mit.edu/2024/turning-science-history-comic-adventure-0111
https://imes.mit.edu/news-events/smith-family-foundation-odyssey-award-lydia-bourouiba
https://news.mit.edu/2022/covid-humidity-spread-1116
https://cee.mit.edu/bourouiba-named-aimbe-fellow/
https://knowablemagazine.org/content/article/physical-world/2021/understand-airborne-transmission-disease
https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-fluid-060220-113712
https://www.annualreviews.org/content/journals/10.1146/annurev-bioeng-111820-025044
https://cee.mit.edu/lydia-bourouiba-elected-2021-american-physical-society-fellow/
https://cee.mit.edu/3q-with-lydia-bourouiba-how-has-our-knowledge-of-the-coronavirus-changed-since-last-spring-2/
https://lbourouiba.mit.edu/video/bourouiba-groups-research-droplets-and-diseases-humans-and-plants-featured-science-friday-and/
https://news.mit.edu/2020/slowing-spread-covid-19-mit-meche-1130
https://news.mit.edu/2020/new-design-principle-could-prevent-catheter-failure-brain-shunts-0730
https://news.mit.edu/2020/massachusetts-emergency-response-ppe-0609
https://www.tedmed.com/speakers/show?id=729973
https://news.mit.edu/2018/bubbles-bacteria-water-air-1114
https://news.mit.edu/2018/new-theory-describes-intricacies-splashing-droplet-0516
https://www.nature.com/articles/534024a
https://news.mit.edu/2016/sneezing-fluid-cascade-not-simple-spray-0210
https://news.mit.edu/2015/high-speed-images-show-raindrops-spread-pathogens-0203
https://news.mit.edu/2015/3q-ebola-spread-0121
Honors + Awards
(Selected)
- 2023, G.K. Batchelor Lecturer at the University of Cambridge
- 2023, Paul Gray Award for Public Service | For her impact on the field of public health, specifically her contributions in mitigating the impact of SARS-CoV-2 on society.
- 2022, 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.
- 2021, 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.
- 2019 Ole Madsen Mentoring Award, in recognition of conspicuous contributions to inspiring, mentoring, and educating students, MIT
- 2018 Shimizu Professorship, Stanford University
- 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.
- 2014 Tse Cheuk Ng Tai’s Prize for Innovative Research in Health Sciences
- 2011 Sigma XI Full Membership award
Memberships
(Selected)
- American Physical Society
- Society for Industrial and Applied Mathematics
- American Mathematical Society
- Society for Mathematical Biology
- Sigma XI
Professional Service
(Selected)
- 2024-now: Associate Director of the U.S. National Science Foundation Center for Analysis and Prediction of Pandemic Expansion (APPEX)
- 2019-2022: Founder and Chair of the 2022 Fluids and Health conference: Gordon Research Conference (GRC) : Fluids in Disease Transmission and Contamination
- 2020-now: Associate Editor – FLOW, Cambridge University Press new fluid mechanics journal sister of the Journal of Fluid Mechanics (JFM)
- 2014-2021 National Institute for Mathematical and Biological Synthesis NIMBioS: Advisory Board member.
- 2017-2019 FLUIDS AND HEALTH: FLUID DYNAMICS OF DISEASE TRANSMISSION Conference, founded and chaired. Elected Feature Conference 2019 at the Institut d'Études Scientifiques de Cargèse.
MIT Service
(Selected)
- 2015-2021 Founder and organizer of the MIT C.C. Mei Distinguished Speaker Series (DSS)
- MIT Catalyst linQ Program, Faculty Advisor and Mentor: advising and mentoring of postdocs, graduate, and undergraduate researchers at various phases of project and translation development.
Teaching
- Fluid Physics (8.292/1.066/12.330)
- Fluids and diseases (2.250/1.063-1.631/HST.537)
- Nonlinear dynamics and turbulence (1.068-1.686/18.358/2.033)
- Evolution of an Epidemic (HST.434)
- Multivariable calculus (18.02)
- Differential equations (18.03)
- Nonlinear dynamics II: continuum systems (1.062/18.354/12.207)
- Linear Algebra (equivalent of 18.06 at MIT)
- 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:
Patents
Bustos, N. and Bourouiba, L., (2022) "Point-of-use devices and methods for determining rheological properties of samples." US Patent Application 17/864,349.
Bourouiba, L. (2021) “Respiratory system simulator systems and methods.” US Patent Application US17/405,007.
Bourouiba, L., Lee, S., and Heldt, T., (2020) Cerebrospinal fluid space draining catheters. US and International Patent Application PCT/US2020/060950.