CEMSE New Faculty: Katerina Nik, Assistant Professor of Applied Mathematics and Computational Sciences

About

Kaizen is a Japanese term meaning "good change," "change for the better," or "improvement." Throughout a career in science, this enriching philosophy has acted as a guiding light for one of the University’s newest faculty members, Professor Katerina Nik.

Nik, who joins KAUST from the Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands, is curiosity-driven individual with a determined streak to improve each day. Research, to her, is like climbing a mountain with no peak: each problem solved opens new questions, and that endless horizon of possibility and discovery is what inspires her.

“For me, it is about the pursuit itself and the satisfaction of constantly expanding the boundaries of what we know,” Nik emphasized. “My mindset is to embrace challenges and believe in my potential to achieve great things. Everything is possible when you truly believe in the outcome; as a scientist, it is vital to stay curious and resilient.”

The University’s emphasis on interdisciplinary collaboration aligns perfectly with Nik’s research goals. To her, KAUST represents a promising place where the pursuit of fundamental science goes hand-in-hand with solving real-world challenges.

“Being part of such a vibrant, supportive environment is a unique opportunity. With KAUST’s world-class resources and inspiring community, I feel I will be able to take my research to new heights. The abundant opportunities to learn from others opens me to new perspectives and ideas I might not have reached alone,” she said.

‘Creating impactful science’

Nik’s research interests lie in modeling and analyzing partial differential equations (PDEs). She is particularly interested in equations that describe biological, mechanical and fluid dynamic phenomena. Central to her research are questions of modeling, well-posedness and the existence and nonexistence of solutions, along with qualitative properties such as stability, multiplicity, regularity and convergence.

Rather than narrowing in on a single problem, Nik draws on techniques from PDE theory, calculus of variations, semigroup theory and geometric measure theory. These techniques have applications in various fields, such as thin fluid films, microelectromechanical systems, dispersive water waves and biological growth processes.

While at KAUST, she values the opportunity to work alongside a diverse group of experts whose multitude of perspectives can open new ideas and applications. She prioritizes creating a strong research team that combines techniques from multiple mathematical fields, such as geometric measure theory, PDEs and calculus of variations.

“Working closely with motivated peers, students and postdocs, I hope to create a lively and inspiring atmosphere for our research. Ultimately, I want our research to be not only mathematically rigorous, but also practically useful, aligning with KAUST’s mission of creating impactful science.”

Due to the flexibility of mathematical modeling, Nik’s research is poised to advance important initiatives at a university and countrywide level. Her work on biological growth processes has the potential to be applied to coral growth, aiding in-Kingdom marine conservation causes and environmental sustainability. In addition to recent studies of wound healing, blood flows, and plaque rupture, she has committed herself to advancing medical science and healthcare in Saudi Arabia.

“Presently, I am also exploring applications in 3-D printing, which fits with the goals of industrial innovation, and collaborating with engineers on microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to develop efficient and precise technologies,” Nik noted.

“At KAUST, I look forward to the discoveries my team and I can make together. As is often the case with mathematics, there are no easy answers to difficult problems; however, with each solution and insight we come up with, the more we can lay the groundwork for future discoveries.”