Saikat Jana obtained his PhD in Engineering Mechanics from Virginia Tech (2013), Masters in Mechanical Engineering from University of Florida (2008) and Bachelors in Technology from National Institute of Technology Durgapur (2007). Following postdoctoral positions at University of Glasgow, Massachusetts Institute of Technology - Skoltech Initiative, Newcastle University and University of Leeds; Saikat joins the School of Engineering at Ulster University as Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering. His interests are in the area of soft-active matter and he utilises microscopy, microfluidics and rheology to quantify microbial behaviour (bacterial, eukaryotic) at length-scales ranging from single cells to their collectives (e.g. bacterial biofilms). By developing such mechanistic understanding he aims to control microbial interactions with its surroundings and develop solutions that benefit human health and the environment.