Research interests:

Biological modeling, Mathematical modeling, Mathematical biology, Fluid dynamics, Biomechanics, Numerical techniques

Dr. Anupam Kumar Pandey is a dedicated researcher specializing in biological modeling. He obtained his Ph.D. in Mathematical Sciences from the Indian Institute of Technology (BHU), Varanasi, India, where his research focused on mathematical applications in biological systems. He holds a Master’s degree in Mathematics and Computing from the Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Guwahati, Assam, India, and a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics (Hons.) from Banaras Hindu University (BHU), Varanasi, India.

Currently, Dr. Pandey is a Postdoctoral Fellow at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Bethesda, Maryland, USA, where he applies advanced mathematical and     computational approaches to study complex biological systems. His research interests lie in biological modeling, with a focus on understanding metabolism, gene transcription, gene regulation, human genetics, and neuroscience, and its associated biological networks. With a passion for interdisciplinary research, Dr. Pandey aims to bridge the gap between mathematics and biology, contributing to innovations in computational biology with AI and ML.

Summary of his Ph.D. research work: He worked in his thesis to develop mathematical models for the treatment of swallowing disorders (such as achalasia, sliding hiatus hernia, etc.) through esophageal catheterization (insertion of a rigid tube into the food pipe in humans), a real-life problem, which has equipped him with his skillsets in mathematical modeling through mathematical methods, fluid dynamics, and biology. He employed long wavelength and low Reynolds number approximations and homotopy perturbation techniques to get semi-analytical solutions. 

Results indicated that a catheter increases pressure from the upper esophageal sphincter to the lower esophageal sphincter. Interestingly, it is revealed that in a patient with a sliding hiatus hernia, less pressure is needed to propel food boluses into the stomach, even with a catheter introduced. Moreover, if a patient is feeding with a fluid that is non-Newtonian (i.e., micropolar fluid) in nature, then the presence of the micropolar parameter and the coupling number significantly impacts the pressure distribution pattern by many folds. Pressure increases with the increase in coupling number and decreases with the increase in the micropolar parameter. It is concluded that the final pressure required to push or propel the food bolus towards the cardiac sphincter (allowing food bolus into the stomach) is higher than Newtonian fluid.