Leif Ristroph !link! Jun 2026

Ristroph’s research sits at the intersection of physics, biology, and engineering. He specializes in understanding how living things interact with fluids (air and water) and using those biological principles to design novel flying and swimming robots.

Leif Ristroph is an associate professor of mathematics at New York University’s Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences . As the director of the Applied Mathematics Laboratory (AML) , Ristroph bridges the gap between theoretical physics and experimental fluid dynamics, tackling complex problems that range from the biomechanics of animal flight to the geophysical sculpting of the Earth's surface. Breakthroughs in Flapping Flight leif ristroph