Subhadeep Pal

Subhadeep Pal

PhD Candidate, Northwestern University

Subhadeep Pal

I am Subhadeep Pal, a final-year Ph.D. candidate in Mechanics, Materials & Structures at Northwestern University (Keten Lab). I build multiscale, data-efficient modeling workflows that link chemistry-specific coarse-grained MD, Gaussian-process metamodels, and Bayesian optimization to explain and design the mechanics of polymer-grafted nanoparticles (PGNs), thermosets, and related soft composites. My work focuses on nanoscale failure mechanisms, the strength–toughness trade-off, and structure→property maps under uncertainty.

Research vision

I aim to turn molecular insight into predictive, decision-making tools for materials design. Current directions:

  • Mechanotargeted drug delivery: coupling PGN mechanics with ECM mechanics to predict transport and uptake; multiscale integration from CG-MD → GP surrogates → FEM.
  • Polymer circularity & recycling: MLIP-MD → kMC → FEM to model bond-exchange kinetics, damage, and reprocessability in dynamic networks and recyclable epoxies.
  • Scalable modeling: particle-based coarse-graining (e.g., ICPM) to reach micron-scale mechanics without sacrificing chemistry-specific trends.

Highlights

  • Fellowships & awards: Ryan Fellowship (IIN, NU); finalist, Frank J. Padden, Jr. Award (APS DPOLY); multiple competitive travel awards (SES, USNCCM).
  • Publications (selected): Macromolecules (2023), Soft Matter (2024), J. Chem. Phys. (2024), Advanced Materials (2025), Phys. Rev. Lett. (2025, Editor’s Suggestion), ACS Macro Lett. (2024), Proc. R. Soc. A (2021).
  • Service & teaching: Reviewer for journals across soft matter and materials; TA/Grader for graduate FEM and structural dynamics.
  • Collaboration: Work closely with experimental groups on indentation, rheology, and super-resolution imaging; joint projects with ARL, UC Berkeley, Columbia, and others.

Recent/ongoing projects

  • Multicomponent PGNs: CG-MD + GP/BO to discover packing rules that simultaneously raise modulus and toughness; micron-scale mechanics via particle models.
  • Shear and impact response of PGN films: micro-ballistic and shear simulations to connect graft architecture, NP volume fraction, and cohesive energy with penetration and stiffness metrics.
  • Mixed-hardener epoxies: chemistry-specific CG-MD with continuum fracture models to quantify how hardener composition shifts yield and toughness.
  • Cement paste rheology (for 3D printing): nanoscale PMF calculations informing meso-scale flow models and rate-dependent viscosity.