Driscoll Lab


Michelle Driscoll

Michelle Driscoll
Associate Professor

email: michelle.driscoll@northwestern.edu
ORCID iD iconorcid.org/0000-0002-0930-9579
google scholar
CV

I am a soft condensed matter experimentalist, and my lab’s focus is to understand, characterize, and control soft materials. Soft materials, such as gels, pastes, and suspensions, are completely disordered, highly nonlinear, and fundamentally out-of-equilibrium; to understand these materials requires the development of new insights and innovative techniques. In my work, I use emergent structure formation as a powerful new tool to probe soft materials. Exploring a diversity of materials is central to my lab's science; we identify model systems for complex soft materials, and then exploit their simplicity to understand complex material response.

Group members

Akalanka Pamud

Pamud Akalanka Bethmage

graduate researcher
project: imaging complex flows
pamud.akalanka@u.northwestern.edu

Akalanka received his Bachelor's in Physics from the University of Colombo, Sri Lanka. Currently, his interests lie in the field of experimental soft matter physics & fluid dynamics. Previously, he did research on simulating magnetic reconnection models in a resistive MHD framework. Outside of work he likes spending time with his family and exploring the city.

Shih-Yuan Chen

Shih-Yuan Chen

postdoctoral researcher
personal website
shihyuan.chen@northwestern.edu

Shih-Yuan Chen got his Ph.D. in Dr. Daniels’ lab at North Carolina State University, working on elastocapillarity and active matter. His current project focuses on synthesizing tunable materials using colloids and polymers.

Samira Khan

Samira Khan

graduate researcher
project: gel fracture
samirakhan2028@u.northwestern.edu

Samira graduated with a B.A. in Physics and Data Science from Mount Holyoke College with a focus on chemistry. She has previously studied the translocation of DNA via a fabricated solid-state nanopore as well as the dynamics of topological defects in an active nematic microtubule system. Samira is also receiving training in Hindustani classical music in addition to her work in the lab.

Shankadeep Man

Shankhadeep Man

graduate researcher
project: magnetic microrollers
shankhadeepman2027@u.northwestern.edu

Shankhadeep received his BS-MS with a physics major from Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata. He keeps an interest in interdisciplinary research and is now working on the hydrodynamics of particles with tunable locomotion strategies. He has a profound regard for artistic activities and pursues painting as a hobby.

Haley Shamah

Haley Shamah

undergraduate researcher
project: magnetic microrollers
haleyshamah2026@u.northwestern.edu

Haley is an undergraduate Physics major in the class of 2026. On campus she is involved in WIP (we’re in physics), Northwestern Hillel, and NU gymnastics Club. Outside of classes, she enjoys watching reality television and doing gymnastics.

Group Alumni

Postdoctoral Alums
Brendan Blackwell, current position: Teaching Faculty, Chemical & Biological Engineering, University of Wisconsin, Madison
Srishti Arora, current position: Postdoctoral Researcher, González-García Elektrofluide group at INM
Ernest van der Wee, current position: Microscopy Specialist, Biology Imaging Center, Biology, Utrecht University

PhD Alums
Phalguni Shah, current position: Research Engineer at PPG (Pittsburgh, PA)

Masters Alums
Brian Seper
Xinjue Wei, current position: Ph.D student, Northwestern University, Marko group
Joseph McCourt, current position: Postdoctoral Appointee, Argonne National Laboratory

Undergraduate Alums
Audra Rosenzweig Sam Nielsen, current position: PhD student, Physics, Brandeis University
Chloe Fisher, current position: Masters student, Karlsruhe Institut für Technologie
Carly Galvin, current position: PhD student, Physics, UC Santa Barbara
Kevin Liu
Desta Tewabe, current position: Masters Student, Materials Engineering, USC
Aryeh Silver, Masters student, Civil and Environmental Engineering, Northwestern University
Ivan Fithian, current position: Development Engineer, Delorean Power (Arlington, VA)
Kelsey Ann-Leslie, current position: Research Engineer at Pykus Therapeutics (Lowell, MA)
Lily Boyd, current position: Teacher, Columbia Secondary School (New York, NY)
Malav Patel, current position: PhD student, Aerospace Engineering, Georgia Tech
Max Paik, current position: PhD student, Computer Science, NYU
Isaiah Katz, current position: PhD student, Statistics and Applied Probability, UC Santa Barbara
Orion Forowycz, current position: Masters Student, Interdisciplinary Mathematics, Vienna University of Technology
Gabriel Petersen
Yuchen Liu
Ravi Chepuri, current position: PhD student, Physics, University of Maryland
Margot Murray, current position: Associate, MultiPlan, New York, NY
Robert Doane-Solomon, current position: PhD student, Oxford
Samuel Kim

Research Intern Alums
Adriana Castelan (Summer 2024)
Tayyab Khan (Summer 2024)
Miguel Gomez (Summer 2024)
Addison Benz (Summer 2023)
Natalya Guiden (Summer 2023)
Raymundo Sandoval Valdez (Summer 2022)
Haneef Khan (Summer 2022)
Eleanor Ward (Summer 2019)
Max Shepherd (Summer 2019)
Max Baliga (Summer 2018)
Michael Frim (Summer 2018)
John Idler (Summer 2018)
Ananya Visweswaran (2018)

Driscoll Lab Fun

Board game night
Game Night, Winter 2022
taco patry picnic
Lakeside taco party, Fall 2020
beach jenga
Lab beach party, Summer 2019