January 6, 2025
By Mikey Fuller

Karthik Menon joined the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering as an assistant professor in January. Learn about the focus of his research, why he chose a career at Georgia Tech, who his biggest influences are, and more in this Q&A.
 

Welcome to the Woodruff School! How did you make the decision to come to Georgia Tech?

It was an easy decision! The incredible research and expertise at Georgia Tech fit very well with my background in fluid mechanics, particularly in aerospace and biomedical applications. In fact, one area of research that I work on – focusing on the interplay between blood flow mechanics and biology to understand and treat cardiovascular disease – was born here at Georgia Tech with the seminal work of David Ku and Don Giddens. Georgia Tech has a long history of excellence in several research areas that I work in, which is evident not just in research but also the alumni I have interacted with. This makes it a very exciting place for me to be a part of and to contribute to while being surrounded by the best!
 

What courses will you be teaching?

I will be teaching Computing Techniques (ME 2016) this Spring. I would also like to teach Fluid Mechanics, Biofluids, and Computational Fluid Dynamics in the next few years.
 

What do you enjoy about working in academia?

I really enjoy the privilege of teaching, mentoring, and learning from the next generation of scientific leaders. Academia gives you the opportunity to constantly explore new ideas, learn something new every day, and surround yourself with leading experts from many different fields who are also very passionate about learning. I find this very motivating and enjoy the collaborative process of creating and implementing new ideas.
 

What is the focus of your research?

My research focuses on fluid dynamics, with a particular emphasis on biomedical, aerospace, and energy applications. Fluid dynamics is at the heart of a wide range of challenges in these domains – from the mechanics of blood flow contributing to the global burden of cardiovascular disease, to emerging technology in autonomous flying and swimming robots or in harnessing clean energy from naturally flowing wind and water.

My interdisciplinary research combines computer simulations, machine learning, physics, and mathematics to build digital twins that allow us to explore and refine these technologies digitally before they are deployed in the real-world. For example, can we predict and optimize the outcome of a surgery before it is performed? Can a swimming robot combine computer-simulated predictions of its fluid environment with feedback from sensors to optimize its performance? These are the types of questions I’m seeking to answer with my research.
 

Who are some of your career influences?

My grandfather is one of the biggest reasons I pursued a career in academia. He is a tireless spokesman for endless learning and curiosity, even at age 94. I first realized I loved research during my undergraduate thesis with Rama Govindarajan and Shubha Tewari at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research in Hyderabad, India. There was a general atmosphere of inquiry and the sense that science can be fun, which I thoroughly enjoyed! Of course, my Ph.D. and postdoctoral advisors, Rajat Mittal and Alison Marsden, have been a major influence on how I approach science, particularly as an extremely interdisciplinary endeavor. I’ve had the great fortune of having excellent mentors throughout my academic career and I hope to provide such mentoring to my own students!
 

What achievements are you most proud of in your career?

Watching the students I have mentored learn and grow has always been a huge source of pride! In terms of research, more than any single paper or prize, I am proud that I have been able to contribute to a wide variety of interdisciplinary research areas – from computational and data-driven methods for aerodynamics and vortex-dominated flows to more recent work in personalized coronary artery flow modeling and uncertainty quantification. I’m motivated by the challenge of applying my skills to different areas and I hope to continue making connections and exploring new fields.
 

What developments or breakthroughs would you like to see in your field of research over the next decade?

In terms of the biomedical side of my research, something I think about often is that it is unacceptable for an aircraft or car to fail as often as medical devices and treatments do. I would love to see more widespread use of physics and math to engineer reliable and predictive health outcomes, using similar principles that have allowed us to build reliable cars and aircrafts for decades. Of course, these are very different systems, but that’s the dream! This holds true for other fields I am interested in too, especially renewable energy. Can we leverage the knowledge of fluid mechanics we have developed for aerospace applications to develop distributed and efficient renewable energy?
 

What is the biggest challenge of being a new professor on campus?

Finding my way around, I expect. I have a notoriously bad sense of direction. Of course, there are the usual challenges of navigating new administrative processes which are unique to every academic institution, as well, but I’m excited to hit the ground running.
 

What are you most excited about while working at Tech?

The students! I have interacted with several Georgia Tech alumni who are now graduate students at Johns Hopkins and Stanford, where I did my Ph.D. and postdoctoral, and they have all been exceptional.
 

What do you enjoy doing for fun outside of work?

I am a huge basketball fan. I played throughout high school and college, and even with many (many) injuries later, I hope to be able to continue playing in Atlanta. My current basketball-related project is to turn my partner into a WNBA fan. I also love spending time outdoors – hiking, biking, camping, and backpacking. At home, I enjoy reading about culture and history. I also like cooking and look forward to exploring Atlanta’s food scene.