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: microrollers in confinement
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.

Isabella Brady-Peters

Isabella Brady-Peters

undergraduate researcher
project: colloidal films
isabellabrady-peters2028@u.northwestern.edu

Isabella is an undergraduate Integrated Science and Physics double major in the class of 2028. She is a member of Reflections Repertory Company, a ballet focused group on campus. In her free time she enjoys reading and listening to music.

Charles Burton

Charlie Burton

graduate researcher
website
project: drop impact of complex fluids
charlesburton2028@u.northwestern.edu

Charlie graduated with BAs in physics and neuroscience from Earlham College. Afterwards, he worked as a researcher at Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, where he studied translational models of Alzheimer's Disease. At Northwestern, he is currently interested in experimental soft matter, particularly drop impact dynamics. In his free time, he loves running, frisbee, exploring Chicago and reading a good fantasy novel.

Carly Galvin

Carly Galvin

graduate researcher
project: complex fluid sheets
CarlyGalvin2023@u.northwestern.edu

Carly graduated with a BA in Physics from Northwestern University, after which she worked with microtubule-based active matter at the University of California in Santa Barbara. She is now continuing her study of rupture dynamics in expanding sheets and thin films of complex fluid. Outside of work, she trains at the Evanston School of Ballet.

Shankadeep Man

Shankhadeep Man

graduate researcher
project: ferrofluid dynamics
website
shankhadeep@u.northwestern.edu

Shankhadeep received his BS–MS degree in Physics from IISER Kolkata, India. His research focuses on the impact dynamics and drying behavior of droplets containing anisotropic colloids, as well as the dynamics of ferrofluid suspensions under tunable magnetic fields. This work encompasses phenomena such as deformation, instability, and directed transport. Beyond his scientific pursuits, he holds a deep appreciation for the arts and actively engages in painting as a hobby.

Haley Shamah

Haley Shamah

undergraduate researcher
project: gel fracture
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
Shih-Yuan Chen, current position: Postdoctoral Researcher, Cheng Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, University of Minnesota
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
Samira Khan
Brian Seper
Xinjue Wei, current position: Ph.D student, Northwestern University, Marko group
Joseph McCourt, current position: Postdoctoral Appointee, Argonne National Laboratory

Undergraduate Alums
Abby Pearson
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 and Astronomy, Northwestern/i>
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

bowling party
Lab bowling adventure, Summer 2025
Board game night
Game Night, Winter 2022
taco patry picnic
Lakeside taco party, Fall 2020