NU-Argonne partnership strengthened with new director Neelesh Patankar
NAISE continues to lead as a model for university-national lab collaboration
Evanston, IL – Northwestern University has appointed Neelesh A. Patankar, a distinguished professor of mechanical engineering, as the new faculty director of the Northwestern-Argonne Institute for Scientific and Engineering Excellence (NAISE). He begins this role effective March 1.
Established in 2013, NAISE is a flagship partnership between Northwestern and Argonne National Laboratory. The institute serves as a model for how universities and national labs can collaborate to tackle critical challenges in materials science, energy, quantum science, sustainability, and computational modeling. With about 125 faculty members from both institutions contributing to this collaboration, NAISE has become a multidisciplinary hub that bridges expertise to drive impactful research and innovation.
“Strengthening research collaborations with national laboratories is essential for solving today’s most pressing scientific and societal challenges,” said Eric Perreault, Northwestern’s vice president for research. “The partnership with Argonne is one of Northwestern’s most significant, providing our researchers with access to world-class facilities and expertise that amplify the impact of our work. In turn, our thought leadership helps advance research of strategic national importance. NAISE has set the standard for how universities and national labs can work together to address critical issues facing society.”
Perreault also expressed gratitude to Jennifer Dunn, a professor of chemical and biological engineering who served as interim director during the search. A prominent researcher in sustainable energy systems, Dunn provided steady leadership to NAISE and ensured that it continued to advance its mission during this transitional period.
Advancing research through interdisciplinary innovation
Under Patankar’s leadership, NAISE is poised to expand its research portfolio and further enhance its role as a model for academic-national lab partnerships.
Patankar, a faculty member at Northwestern since 2000, is an expert in fluid mechanics and computational modeling. His distinguished career includes receiving the Prominent Researcher Award at the Microflow and Interfacial Phenomena Conference (2023), election as a Fellow of the American Physical Society (2012), and recognition as the Charles Deering McCormick Professor of Teaching Excellence (2014–2017). He earned his B.Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay, and his MS and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania.
His recent research includes a groundbreaking study published in Nature Biomedical Engineering. The study introduces a predictive metric to forecast aortic aneurysms, deadly conditions that often remain undetected until rupture. The study’s “flutter instability parameter” (FIP) uses a single 4D flow MRI scan to predict aneurysms with 98% accuracy three years before they occur. This physics-based metric allows for early intervention and highlights how engineering principles can address critical healthcare challenges.
A vision for NAISE
Patankar succeeds Peter Voorhees, the founding director of NAISE, who established the initiative as a hub for interdisciplinary collaboration. Under Voorhees’ leadership, NAISE facilitated breakthroughs in energy storage, quantum materials, and environmental sustainability while cementing Northwestern’s reputation as a leader in materials science and computational modeling.
As director, Patankar aims to strengthen the partnership with Argonne National Laboratory by fostering deeper integration of Northwestern's faculty and students into Argonne’s advanced research ecosystems. His vision includes expanding NAISE’s interdisciplinary initiatives to tackle complex scientific challenges, such as energy storage, quantum computing, and climate modeling. Patankar also plans to develop innovative programs and frameworks to facilitate seamless academic and national lab collaborations, enabling Northwestern researchers to leverage Argonne’s state-of-the-art facilities and expertise to drive groundbreaking discoveries and technological advancements.
“I am honored to lead NAISE into its next chapter,” said Patankar. “This partnership represents the best of what academic and national lab collaborations can achieve. Together, we can advance research that makes a meaningful impact on society and address the complex challenges of our time.”
Learn more about NAISE and its initiatives.
— Matt Golosinski