Nikolaos Kolezakis

Postdoctoral Fellow
Email: nikos534@mit.edu

 

 

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Research Interest:

Industrial complex fluids are widespread and have a wide range of applications. The development of models that can accurately predict the rheological properties as well as the morphology of end products is in high demand. During my PhD research, I focused on particle simulations of yield-stress materials, specifically colloidal gels and glasses, which are used in consumer goods as fabric softeners. The complexity of these materials arises from factors such as particles polydispersity, interparticle forces, and the variety of additives present in the final products. A simplified numerical model was derived through Brownian Dynamics simulations that captures the temporal evolution of these materials, in terms of microstructure, dynamics, and rheology. Validation of the predictions of our microscopic-scale simulations was achieved through macroscopic rheological measurements.
As part of my Post-Doctoral research, I will be working on multiscale modeling of semicrystalline polymers during extrusion-based 3D printing processes. In these processes, polymers undergo flow induced crystallization, a phenomenon that has been extensively studied by Rutledge group. Our goal is to gain insights into the evolving morphology of the crystalline regions during Fused Deposition Modeling 3D printing.

Bio:

Nikos is originally from Kavala, Greece. He received both his Bachelor’s and Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Patras in 2021. Following this, he joined a European Project under the Marie Curie grant, where he pursued his PhD research in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Naples Federico II, Italy. He earned his PhD in 2025 and is currently a Post-Doctoral Associate at MIT working under the mentorship of Prof. Gregory Rutledge.