DR. PRATEEK KUMAR JHA

Research interests

Molecular Simulations, Drug Delivery, Polymer Physics, Nanoscience, Rheology, Fluid mechanics

EXPERIENCE

Professor, IIT Roorkee, August 2024-, Associate Professor, IIT Roorkee — December 2019- August 2024; Assistant Professor, IIT Roorkee — July 2014-December 2019

• Leading the Molecular Simulations & Drug Delivery Research Group with currently 1 Postdoctoral fellow, 4 PhD students, 2 M.Tech. students and several B.Tech. students. 4 Postdoctoral fellows, 3 PhD students, 17 M.Tech. students and several B.Tech. students have graduated so far. 

• Taught Engineering Analysis & Process Modeling (UG), Computer Programming (UG), Advanced Thermodynamics & Molecular Simulations (PG), Modeling and Simulation of Polymers (UG), Properties of Polymers (UG), Process Modeling & Simulation (UG), Introduction to Chemical Engineering (UG), Polymer Physics & Rheology (UG), Heterogeneous Catalysis & Reactor Design (PG), Industrial Instrumentation (UG). Listed among top 15 UG teachers shortlisted for outstanding teacher award of the institute in 2019.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, USA — 2012-14

Worked with Professor Ronald Larson on a collaborative project with the Dow Chemical Company on Computational Design of Cellulosic Excipients for Drug Delivery. Also, mentored several graduate students and worked on the Theory and Simulations of Polyelectrolyte Complexation.

Development Engineer, Flowmaster India Limited — April-June, 2007

Involved in the development of a 1D flow simulation software

Research Assistant, IIT Bombay — 2006-2007

Worked with Professor Mahesh Tirumkudulu on a sponsored project on Chemotaxis of E.Coli

EDUCATION

Northwestern University, USA— PhD in Chemical Engineering, 2012 

Supervisor: Professor Monica Olvera de la Cruz 

Dissertation: Theory and Simulations of Gels, Nanogels, and Nanoparticle Assemblies 

GPA: 3.89/4

Awarded the Distinguished Researcher Award for best PhD work in the Department 

IIT Bombay— MTech in Chemical Engineering, 2006

Supervisor: Professor Mahesh Tirumkudulu

Dissertation: Measurement of Tack of Waterborne Adhesives on Porous Substrates

GPA: 9.16/10

NIT Warangal— BTech in Chemical Engineering, 2004

First Class with Distinction (75.1%)

Awards

• Institute Research Fellowship for Outstanding Young Faculty, IIT Roorkee, 2020

• Young Scientist Award, SERB, 2016

• INSPIRE Faculty Award, DST, 2014

• Finalist for Frank J. Padden Jr. Award for excellence in polymer physics research, American Physical Society, 2012

• McCormick Terminal Year Fellowship, Northwestern University, 2011

• Distinguished Researcher Award, Northwestern University, 2011

• Non-Equilibrium Research Center Fellowship, Northwestern University, 2010

• The Graduate School Conference Travel Grant, Northwestern University, 2008, 2009, 2010 (3 times)

• Materials Research Science & Engineering Center Fellowship, Northwestern University, 2008

• Murphy Fellowship, Northwestern University, 2007

• Merit Scholarship, NIT Warangal, 2001

• Merit Certificate for outstanding performance in Mathematics in All India Secondary School Examination, CBSE, 1997 

• Merit Certificate for performance in All India Secondary School Examination, Government of NCT of Delhi, 1997

certifications/Participation in Short term courses

• Introduction to GAUSSIAN: Theory & Practice, Gaussian Inc., Pune, 2014

• Postdoctoral Short Course on College Teaching in Science & Engineering, Center for Research on Learning & Teaching, University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, 2013

• First Les Houches School in Computational Physics -Soft Matter, Ecole de Physique des Houches, Les Houches, France, 2011

• Management for Scientists and Engineers, Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University, 2010

Educational activities

• Developed a PG core course on “Advanced Thermodynamics and Molecular Simulations” at IIT Roorkee

• Delivered 6 lectures in QIP courses at IIT Roorkee between 2015-2018

• Developed a 12-week MOOC course on Introduction to Polymer Physics, NPTEL, started from July 2018 session

• Developed a 12-week MOOC course on Advanced Thermodynamics and Molecular Simulations, NPTEL, started from January 2021 session 

professional activities

• Convener, 12th International Conference on Complex Fluids and Soft Matter, COMPFLU-2018, December 6-9, 2018 followed by Indo-US Workshop on Soft Matter, December 9-11, 2018, at IIT Roorkee

• Session Chair, Polymers Session & Soft Matter in Industry Session, COMPFLU-2017, IIT Madras, December 18-20, 2017

• Reviewer for many reputed journals

• Review Editor, Frontiers in Physics-Soft Matter

memberships

• American Physical Society

• The Institution of Engineers (India)

• Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers (IIChE)

Administrative background

• Chairperson, GATE-JAM, IIT Roorkee, 2023-2024

• Vice-Chairperson, GATE-JAM, IIT Roorkee, 2021-2023

• Member, UG Curriculum Revision Committee, 2020-2023

• Coordinator, SPARK (summer internship program), IIT Roorkee, 2017-2020 (also played major role in starting this program)

• Member, Institute Academic Progress Committee, IIT Roorkee, 2017-2018

• Prepared the proposal and represented the department for the new M.Tech. program in Chemical Engineering started in 2018

• Faculty Advisor, Photography Session, IIT Roorkee, 2016-2017

• Member, Department Space Management Committee (DSMC), 2019-

• Member, Department Web Management Committee (DWMC), 2019-

• Member and Secretary, Departmental Research Committee (DRC), Department of Chemical Engineering, 2015-2017

• Member and Secretary, Departmental Academic Progress Committee (DAPC), Department of Chemical Engineering, 2017-2020

• Member and Secretary, Departmental Administrative Committee (DAC), Department of Chemical Engineering, 2018-

• Member, Departmental Faculty Search Committee (DFSC), Department of Chemical Engineering, 2018-2020

• Faculty-incharge, Training & Placement, Department of Chemical Engineering, 2015-

• Seminar Coordinator, Department of Chemical Engineering, 2015-

• Deputy OC, High Computing Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, 2014-

• OC, Heat Transfer UG Lab, Department of Chemical Engineering, 2014-2018

• OC, Workshop-Boiler & Compressor, Department of Chemical Engineering, 2014-2018

Projects

Sponsored Projects

• PI on the "Development of Biodegradable Intracameral Implants and Drug-Loaded Intraocular Lenses for Treatment of Open Angle Glaucoma", SERB, 2023-2026 (Total outlay: 27.28 Lacs)

• PI on the project "Studying drug diffusion in multiresponsive, multilayered polymeric materials for applications in oral and ocular delivery", SERB, 2021-2024 (Total outlay: 34.83 Lacs)

• co-PI on the project "First-principle design, synthesis, and characterization of nickel-ceria-zirconia catalysts for methane tri-reforming from MOF precursors, SERB, 2019-2022 (Total outlay: 55.728 Lacs)

• PI on the project In-vitro dissolution experiments and multi scale simulations of responsive polymer-drug formulation, SERB, 2016-2019 (Total outlay: 30.52 Lacs)

• PI on the project Stimulus-Response of “Smart” Polymers for drug delivery, INSPIRE unit, DST, 2014-2019 (Total outlay: Rs. 35 Lacs)

Institute Funding

• co-PI for 4 major equipments purchased under the SMILE scheme, IIT Roorkee, 2017 (Total approx. Rs. 8 crores) 

• PI on the project Molecular Simulations of Stimuli-Responsive Materials for Drug Delivery Applications, Faculty Initiation Grant, IIT Roorkee, 2014-2017 (Total outlay: Rs. 10 Lacs)

Others

• Part of the department team for the presentation made at Indian Academy of Science, Bangalore for the DST-FIST Level-II grant that was later granted to the department, 2018 (Total outlay: Rs. 3.7 crores)

• PI for a computational allocation on the project “Large scale atomistic molecular dynamics study of drug-release from stimuli-responsive polymeric carriers” at National Param Supercomputing Facility, 2017-2018

• PI/co-PI for two major computational allocations of total ~3.6 million CPU hours on the “Extreme Science and Engineering Discovery Environment (XSEDE)” supercomputing resource, USA, 2013-2014