Jason R. Picardo

Jason R. Picardo
Assistant Professor

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Education

    BTech Chemical Engineering, VIT University, Vellore (2007-2011)
    PhD, Department of Chemical Engineering, IIT Madras (2011-2017)
    Post-doc, Int. Centre for Theoretical Sciences, TIFR, Bangalore (2017-2019)

Courses

    Advanced Transport Phenomena (UG Honours)
    Fall 2020, Fall 2021, Fall 2022
    Communication Skills (PG core)
    Spring 2020, Spring 2021, Spring 2022
    Process Fluid Mechanics (UG core)
    Fall 2023, Fall 2024
    Modelling Stochastic and Turbulent Transport (PG elective)
    Spring 2024, Spring 2026

Research

Instabilities and Pattern Formation

Most flows and transport processes encountered in nature and industry are nonlinear and give rise to spatio-temporal patterned states, e.g., wave-trains on the surface of flowing water, or droplets arrayed along a thin rod. Understanding these patterns is important—even if one were immune to their beauty—because of the significant impact that self-organized structures have on heat/mass transport rates and mechanical forces. We use mathematical theory and computer simulations to understand how such patterns arise and how to manipulate them.

Turbulent Transport

Turbulent flows are ubiquitous and play an essential role in a wide range of scientific problems: From the transport of oil in pipelines to the production of chemicals in stirred tank reactors. A specific focus of our work is on understanding how objects suspended in a turbulent flow behave under the action of fluctuating fluid forces. For example, the stretching of dissolved polymers modifies the large-scale flow and ends up significantly reducing energy losses. In nature, plankton that are mechanically stimulated by the turbulence near a ship light up the ocean.

Mathematical Modelling

We are broadly interested in modelling systems that involve transport phenomena across multiple scales. We use simple models capable of elucidating general principles and use techniques of applied mathematics, such as perturbation theory and slow-manifold order-reduction, to gain mechanistic insight. The value of such an approach in engineering is best exemplified by the writings and work of Rutherford Aris.

Research Areas

Sub Areas

  • Turbulence

Awards & Honors

NASI-Platinum Jubilee Young Scientist Award (2022)
Fulbright-Nehru Doctoral Research Fellowship (2015-2016)
IIT Madras Institute Research Award (2015)

Selected Publications

    Aerosol deposition in mucus-lined ciliated airways
    S. Hazra and J. R. Picardo
    Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 1020, A16, 2025.
    Probabilistic plugging of airways by sliding mucus films
    S. Hazra, and Jason R. Picardo
    Physical Review Fluids, 10, 094002, 2025..
    Active waves from non-reciprocity and cytoplasmic exchange
    Jason R. Picardo, V. Jemseena, and K. Vijay Kumar
    Physical Review E (Letter), 112, L022401, 2025.
    Bioluminescence in turbulence: intermittent straining lights up dinoflagellates
    P. Kumar and J. R. Picardo
    Physical Review Fluids (Letter), in press.
    Turbulent stretching of dumbbells with hydrodynamic interactions: an analytical study
    J. R. Picardo, and D. Vincenzi
    Physical Review Fluids, 10, 093303, 2025.
    How hydrodynamic interactions alter polymer stretching in turbulence
    A. Ganesh, D. Vincenzi, R. Prabhakar, and J. R. Picardo
    https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.05349
    Preserving large-scale features in simulations of elastic turbulence
    S. R. Yerasi, J. R. Picardo, A. Gupta, and D. Vincenzi
    Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 1000, A37, 2024.
    In the chaos of turbulence, scientists chase glimpses of hidden order 
    S. Mukherjee and Jason R. Picardo
    The Hindu (e-paper), 13 Dec 2023.