Bishakhdatta Gayen

Bishakhdatta Gayen is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and an ARC Future Fellow at the University of Melbourne in the Faculty of Engineering and Information Technology. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India (2006), and M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of California, San Diego (2012), where his dissertation, 'Turbulence and internal waves in tidal flow over topography,' received the 2013 Andreas Acrivos Dissertation Award in Fluid Dynamics from the American Physical Society Division of Fluid Dynamics.

Gayen's academic career includes serving as an ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA) Fellow and Postdoctoral Fellow at the Australian National University from 2012 to 2016, and RJL Hawke Post-Doctoral Fellow funded by the Australian Antarctic Science program from 2017 to 2018. He was also Assistant Professor at the Centre for Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Indian Institute of Science. His research focuses on geophysical fluid dynamics, including turbulent convection, ocean convection, ice-ocean interactions, Antarctic sea ice growth, and basal melting of ice shelves. Key publications include 'The role of double-diffusive convection in basal melting of Antarctic ice shelves' (Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2021), 'Decline of Antarctic Circumpolar Current due to polar ocean freshening' (Environmental Research Letters, 2025), 'How Does the Ocean Melt Antarctic Ice Shelves?' (Annual Review of Marine Science, 2025), and 'Double-Diffusive Layer and Meltwater Plume Effects on Ice Face Melting' (Geophysical Research Letters, 2023). With over 1,800 citations on Google Scholar, his work advances understanding of ocean circulation, polar mass loss, and climate impacts. In 2021, he was awarded the John Booker Medal by the Australian Academy of Science for outstanding research in engineering mechanics addressing static and dynamic deformation problems of engineering significance.

Professional Email: bishakhdatta.gayen@unimelb.edu.au