Moumita Das Headshot

Moumita Das

Professor

School of Physics and Astronomy
College of Science
Program Faculty, School of Mathematics and Statistics

Office Location
Office Mailing Address
School of Physics and Astronomy,\n Rochester Institute of Technology,\n Rochester, NY 14623

Moumita Das

Professor

School of Physics and Astronomy
College of Science
Program Faculty, School of Mathematics and Statistics

Education

BS, MS, Jadavpur University (India); Ph.D., Indian Institute of Science (India); Postdoc, Harvard University, UCLA, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (The Netherlands)

Bio

Biological cells and tissues are soft and squishy yet highly resilient and robust. My research seeks to uncover the physical principles that enable their remarkable properties and their adaptability. Using statistical and soft matter physics, mechanics, and quantitative biology, we create mathematical models and biophysics theories for network-like structures such as the cytoskeleton of cells and extracellular matrix of soft tissues. Our analytical and computational methods study their emergent properties and dynamics, aiming to understand the biophysical rules of life and replicate these in synthetic materials with experimental collaborators. I am a Fellow of the American Physical Society. 


Areas of Expertise

Currently Teaching

MATH-790
0 - 9 Credits
Masters-level research by the candidate on an appropriate topic as arranged between the candidate and the research advisor.
PHYS-440
3 Credits
This course is an introduction to the principles of classical thermodynamics and its statistical basis, including: equations of state, the first and second laws of thermodynamics, microscopic basis of entropy, temperature and thermal equilibrium, thermodynamic potentials, applications of thermodynamics, kinetic theory of gases, and Boltzmann and quantum statistics.
PHYS-450
1 Credits
This course is a preparation for the two-semester physics capstone project to be carried out in the following year. It includes selection of a project and faculty mentor, preparation of a feasibility study, preparation of a paper, and a public oral presentation.
PHYS-640
3 Credits
This course is a graduate-level study of the concepts and mathematical structure of statistical physics. Topics include the microcanonical, canonical, and grand-canonical ensembles and their relationships to thermodynamics, including classical, Fermi, and Bose-Einstein statistics. The course includes illustrations and applications from the theories of phase transitions, solids, liquids, gases, radiation, soft condensed matter, and chemical and electrochemical equilibria. The course also treats non-equilibrium topics including the kinetic theory of transport processes, the theory of Brownian motion, and the fluctuation-dissipation theorem.
PHYS-790
1 - 4 Credits
Graduate-level research by the candidate on an appropriate topic as arranged between the candidate and the research advisor.
PHYS-791
0 Credits
Graduate-level research by the candidate on an appropriate topic as arranged between the candidate and the research advisor.

In the News

  • January 2, 2024

    college professor posing with her arms crossed in front of a whiteboard covered in math equations.

    RIT’s Moumita Das elected as American Physical Society fellow

    The APS Fellowship Program was created to recognize members who have made advances in physics through original research and publication, innovative contributions in the application of physics to science and technology, or teaching or service in the activities of the organization. No more than one half of 1 percent of the APS membership, excluding students, is recognized with fellowship.

  • 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.