Research Experience

Broadly speaking, I am passionate about seeking answers to interesting scientific queries of human mind!

In other words, using engineering background to solve real-life societal problems such as in human health.

Research Interests-

Whole Organ and Organisms Cryopreservation

Life Sciences- Cryobiology, Vitrification, Ice Crystallization, Cryogenic Physics

Engineering- Thermal Sciences, Biophysics- Bio-transport, Bio-Heat Transfer

Postdoctoral Research , (Fall 2024- Current)

Bio-Heat Mass Transfer Laboratory, University of Minnesota, NSF ERC ATP-Bio

Mentored by Prof. John C. Bischof, University of Minnesota, USA

Developing a next-gen organ cooling and vitrification technique

In Progress...

Graduate School Research (2019-2024)

Bio-Heat Mass Transfer Laboratory, University of Minnesota, PhD

Mentored by Prof. John C. Bischof, University of Minnesota, USA

Vitrification and Nanowarming at the scale of Human Organ

Developed Control Rate Freezer (CRF) protocols for successful vitrification at multi-liter volumes
Largest reported demonstration of vitrification at liter volumes (up to 3L) and porcine liver (human organ scale)
Characterized nanoparticle heating as function of magnetic field and frequency in a large volume RF coil (2.5 L capacity)
Largest reported demonstration of nanowarming at liter volumes (up to 2L) in M22+IONPs at heating rates of ~100C/min
Predicted cooling and nanowarming rates for various human organs using computaitonal modeling

Dielectric Property Measurement Relevant for Electromagnetic Rewarming Applications (dielectric, nanowarming)

Using Open-ended coaxial probe, measured dielectric constant and loss for CPAs and tissues
Understanding of effect of individual CPA component into a CPA cocktail mixture such as VS55, M22 and DP6
Measured dielectric constant and loss for organ vitrification CPAs- VS55, M22 and DP6 in subzero temperatures (20 to -40C)

Thermo-physical Properties role in cryopreservation

Literature Review of thermal conductivity of biological materials-CPAs, Tissues, and CPA permeated Tissues in cryogenic temperature range
Thermal property database

Investigation of ice crystallization in CPAs and tissues permeated with CPAs using DSC and cryomicroscopy

Used cryomicroscopy to visualize ice formation during cooling in CPAs- VS55, M22 and DP6 (add image)
Measured Critical cooling and warming rates (CCR, CWR) of CPAs and tissues (kidney, liver and heart) both- rat and porcine model using Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC)
Investigating "water confinement effect" in tissues where water and CPA calorimetric properties differ in a confined compartmentalized state- similar to "bound water"

Computational Modeling of Heat and Mass Transfer

Cells- pancreatic islets

- CPA loading
- Heat Transfer prediction of cooling and warming

Organs-

- Kidney vitrification and nanowarming
- Bulk volume guide for mL to L scale- prediction of failure by ice formation and fractures for 3 CPAs i.e. M22, VS55, DP6

Translation Research- Medical Device Development

Stakeholder Inspired Research Program (SIRP) funded by ATP-Bio, 2023-2024

Developing container technologies for transfer, storage and shipment of vitrified human scale organs

Technical Skills and Instrumentation

3D cell spheroids culture and handling, CPA loading/mass transport, tissue slicing and biopsy punching, calorimetry, cryomicroscopy, osmolarity, viscometer, lithography, 3D printing (soft and hard), ImageJ, 3D Slicer, CAD- SOLIDWORKS, COMSOL

DAAD German Academic Exchange Service

Working Internship In Science and Engineering (May 2017 - Jul 2017)

Organic Rankine Cycle: Investigation of flow behaviour in a steam generator prototype for alcohol-water mixtures See Project Report

Mentored by Prof.Dr.-Ing. Roland Scharf and Dipl.-Ing. Martin Guenzel ,Institute of Power Plant Engineering and Heat Transfer (IKW)Leibniz University Hannover, Germany

This research describes the flow analysis of an ORC steam generator prototype for alcohol-water mixtures using the CFD and FEM simulation tools in Star-CCM+. The ORC Test Facility is located at the EFZN, an energy research center of Lower Saxony at Goslar, Germany.
The project has been performed in three stages. The first stage includes CAD modelling of evaporator in Solid Works.
In second stage, the thermal analysis of evaporator pipes has been performed in Star CCM+ using a Finite Volume mesh.
The last stage comprises of analysis of static as well as thermal stresses in evaporator pipes using a Finite Element mesh.
It is found that Von mises stress in evaporator pipes are well below the yield strength of pipe material thereby providing a room for scaling down the steam generator as required for automotive application.
Also, the temperature field in each of the tube is determined and based upon that the tube in which the liquid ethanol reaches its saturation temperature and changes its phase to vapour has been predicted. The multi-phase flow of ethanol has been studied and liquid-vapor content in evaporator tubes (near exit) has been determined.
Future work includes verification of multi-phase thermal properties and stresses at exit of evaporator and based upon that predicting the possible size reduction of ORC steam generator for automotives.

Summer Undergraduate Research Grant for Excellence (May 2016 - Jul 2016)

Development and Performance testing of a flexible heat pipe for spacecraft applications: See Project Report

Mentored by Prof. Sameer Khandekar, Phase Change Thermal Systems Laboratory, Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, IIT Kanpur

Usually satellite or space vehicles carrying the imaging cameras suffer from vibrations which can affect the quality and performance of imaging potential of the space vehicle. So there is an unmet need of 'vibration-free' thermal management of space vehicles and satellites.
Performed a Literature review of Flexible Heat Pipes and Bellow: flexible component of heat pipe. Theoretically modeled the axial, angular and lateral stiffness of bellow and computed it for our dimensions of flexible heat pipe.
Performed experiment along with FEM simulation in Autodesk Inventor and benchmarked the results with theoretical model predictions for stiffness.
Analysed the sensitivity of Flexural rigidity and critical buckling pressure with respect to geometric parameters of bellow using MATLAB
Calculated stresses occurring in bellow theoretically as per EJMA standard and compared it with FEM simulation results.
Designed the thickness of bellow for a given inside pressure in the heat pipe using stiffness and yield stress criterion.
The research was a part of bigger ISRO project given to Phase change Thermal Systems Laboratory IITK.

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