Moumita Das Headshot

Moumita Das

Professor

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

585-475-5135
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

I am interested in collective behavior in soft materials, particularly biological systems that involve an interplay between mechanics, (equilibrium or non-equilibrium) statistical mechanics, geometry, and structural properties.

585-475-5135

Areas of Expertise

Select Scholarship

Journal Paper
Francis, Madison, et al. "Non-monotonic Dependence of Stiffness on Actin Crosslinking in Cytoskeleton Composites." Soft Matter 15. (2019): 9056. Print.
Farhadi, Leila, et al. "Actin and Microtubule Crosslinkers Tune Mobility And Control Co-localization in a Composite Cytoskeletal Network." Soft Matter. (2020): Advance article. Web.
Kornick, K., et al. "Population Dynamics of Mitochondria in Mammalian Cells: A Minimal Mathematical Model." Frontiers in Physics 7. (2019): 146. Web.
Gurmessa, B., et al. "Triggered Disassembly and Reassembly of Actin Networks Induce Rigidity Phase Transitions." Soft Matter 15. (2019): 1335. Print.
Gurmessa, B., et al. "Counterion crossbridges enable robust multiscale elasticity in actin networks." Physical Review Research 1. (2019): 13016. Web.
Ricketts, Shea, et al. "Varying crosslinking motifs drive the mesoscale mechanics of actin-microtubule composites." Scientific Reports 246. (2019): 12831. Web.
Song, W, et al. "Dynamic Self-Organization of Microwell-Aggregated Cellular Mixtures." Soft Matter 12. (2016): 5739--5746. Print.
Silverberg, J.L., et al. "Structure-function relations and rigidity percolation in the shear properties of neonatal bovine articular cartilage." Biophysical Journal 107. (2014): 1721. Print.
Invited Keynote/Presentation
Das, Moumita. "Phase Separation Dynamics of Cell Co-cultures with Different Mechano-adhesive Properties." Bridging Cellular and Tissue Dynamics from Normal Development to Cancer: Mathematical, Computational, and Experimental Approaches. BIRS. Banff, Alberta, CA. 17 Jun. 2019. Conference Presentation.
Das, Moumita. "Mechanical Structure Function Properties of Subcellular and Extracellular Networks." Stochastic Physics in Biology. Gordon Research Conference. Ventura, CA. 8 Jan. 2019. Conference Presentation.
Das, Moumita. "Structure function properties of extracellular networks: Mechanics and crack propagation." Generation and Control of Forces in Cells. NORDITA. Stockholm, Sweden. 14 Jun. 2018. Conference Presentation.
Das, Moumita. "Collective behavior underlying biological response: Role of criticality and hetero-geneity." Non-Classical behaviors in Biological Matter. Johns Hopkins University and AFOSR. Arlngton, VA. 24 Sep. 2019. Conference Presentation.

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.
MATH-791
0 Credits
Continuation of Thesis
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-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.

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.