In this episode, I converse with Prof. Sujit Datta, an Assistant Professor of Chemical and Biological Engineering at Princeton University. Sujit earned a BA in Mathematics and Physics, and an MS in Physics, in 2008 from the University of Pennsylvania. He earned his PhD in Physics in 2013 from Harvard, where he studied fluid dynamics and instabilities in porous media and colloidal microcapsules with David Weitz after which he finished a postdoc in Chemical Engineering at Caltech, where he studied the biophysics of the gut with Rustem Ismagilov. He joined the faculty at Princeton in 2017 and been the recipient of multiple awards like the NSF CAREER Award, AIChE 35 Under 35 Award, ACS Unilever Award, APS Andreas Acrivos Award in Fluid Dynamics.

Sujit's lab studies soft and living materials in complex settings, motivated by challenges like water remediation, carbon sequestration, oil/gas recovery, and targeted drug delivery, and their work integrates microscopy, microfluidics, soft materials chemistry, and biophysical characterisation. We indulge in an ebullient conversation on his wonderful journey through science and life; from early fascinations with economics and philosophy to pivoting to maths and physics; fascination with science and the fundamental role of curiosity-driven basic science research in helping shape the world; his terrific set of mentors; kickboxing the stress out of his life; the importance of diversity and inclusion in all walks of life; and many more things!!