Lishibanya Mohapatra Headshot

Lishibanya Mohapatra

Assistant Professor

School of Physics and Astronomy
College of Science
lxmsps@rit.edu
585-475-5128
Office Location
GOS-3336

Lishibanya Mohapatra

Assistant Professor

School of Physics and Astronomy
College of Science

Bio

Just like human bodies have organs to complete various biological functions, cells have distinguishable subcellular parts called organelles, each specifically designed for its own specialized tasks. My group uses math, physics and computation to study how cells measure and control the size of their organelles.

lxmsps@rit.edu
585-475-5128
Personal Links
Personal Website
Areas of Expertise
Physics
Biophysics
Computational Biology
Computational Modelling
Interdisciplinary Research
Stochastic Processes
Mathematical Modeling
Organelle Assembly

Select Scholarship

Journal Paper
Shiff, Chloe E., Jane Kondev, and Lishibanya Mohapatra. "Ultrasensitivity of microtubule severing due to damage repair." iScience 27. 2 (2024): 0. Web.
Momcilovic, Petar, et al. "A Probabilistic Approach to Growth Networks." Operation Research. (2021): 1-7. Web.
Fai, Thomas F, et al. "Length regulation of multiple flagella that self-assemble from a shared pool of components." eLife. (2019): 1-31. Web.
Mohapatra, Lishibanya, et al. "The Limiting-Pool Mechanism Fails to Control the Size of Multiple Organelles." Cell systems. (2017): 559-567. Web.
MOHAPATRA, LISHIBANYA, Bruce L. Goode, and Jane Kondev. "Antenna mechanism of Length control of actin cables." PLOS computational biology. (2015): 1-16. Web.
Published Review
Dill, Ken A. "Annual Reviews of Biophysics." Rev. of Design Principles of Length Control of Cytoskeletal Structures, by Lishibanya Mohapatra, et al. Design Principles of Length Control of Cytoskeletal Structures 26 Apr. 2016: 85-116. Web.

Currently Teaching

MATH-790
Research & Thesis
0 - 9 Credits
Masters-level research by the candidate on an appropriate topic as arranged between the candidate and the research advisor.
PHYS-214
Modern Physics II
3 Credits
This course is a continuation of a survey of modern physics beyond the topics introduced in Modern Physics I. Central topics include the physics of multi-electron atoms, molecular structure, fundamentals of statistical physics applied to systems of particles, elementary solid-state physics, applications to semiconductor materials and simple devices, and basic elements of nuclear physics.
PHYS-602
Graduate Physics Seminar II
1 Credits
This course is the second in a two-semester sequence intended to familiarize students with research activities, practices, ethics in university, government, industry, and other professional research environments and to introduce students to research tools and skill sets important in various professional environments. The course is intended to help students develop a broad awareness of current professional and funding opportunities. As part of the course, students are expected to attend research seminars sponsored by the School of Physics and Astronomy, to participate in regular journal club offerings, to engage in outreach activities, and to participate in visits to regional laboratories and companies. The course provides training in proposal writing and presentation skills. Credits earned in this course apply to research requirements.
PHYS-790
Graduate Research & Thesis
1 - 4 Credits
Graduate-level research by the candidate on an appropriate topic as arranged between the candidate and the research advisor.
PHYS-791
Continuation of Thesis
0 Credits
Graduate-level research by the candidate on an appropriate topic as arranged between the candidate and the research advisor.

In the News

  • May 8, 2023

    close up of shampoo, showing large and small purple, yellow and orange bubbles.

    Squishing the barriers of physics

    Four RIT faculty members are opening up soft matter physics, sometimes known as “squishy physics,” to a new generation of diverse scholars. Moumita Das, Poornima Padmanabhan, Shima Parsa, and Lishibanya Mohapatra are helping RIT make its mark in the field.

  • September 16, 2022

    graphic with portrait of Lishibanya Mohapatra, assistant professor in the College of Science.

    NIH funds new RIT-led study to explore how living cells regulate the growth of organelles

    Lishibanya Mohapatra, an assistant professor at RIT’s School of Physics and Astronomy, hopes that a better understanding of how living cells maintain the size of their organelles can lead to therapies for neurodegenerative diseases. She earned a five-year, $1.7 million grant from the National Institutes of Health to study how cells control the size of organelles.

More News