Micro-Swimmers in Complex Confinement

Dr. Enkeleida Lushi

Assistant Professor
Department of Mathematics
New Jersey Institute of Technology

lushi@njit.edu

About Dr. Enkeleida Lushi

Dr. Enkeleida Lushi is an Assistant Professor of Mathematics at New Jersey Institute of Technology. She holds a PhD from New York University and has spent time as a researcher at the Flatiron Institute, Brown University, Imperial College London and University of Cambridge. Her research interests lie in mathematical modeling and computer simulations of problems in soft and active matter, in particular active particle and micro-swimmer motion in complex environments.

Abstract

Interactions between micro-swimmers and solid boundaries play an important role in many biological and technological processes. I will discuss our ongoing work in modeling and simulations that aim to understand the motion of micro-swimmers such as bacteria, micro-algae, spermatozoa or active colloids in various confinements or in structured environments. Our results highlight a complex interplay of the fluidic and contact interactions of the individuals with each-other and the boundaries to give rise to non-trivial individual and collective behavior.