Research Information

I am a Hooke Research Fellow at the Mathematical Institute of the University of Oxford, affiliated with the Oxford Centre for Industrial and Applied Mathematics (OCIAM). I am also a Fulford Junior Research Fellow at Somerville College. I am interested in using modeling and numerical simulations to study fluid dynamical problems, with an emphasis on fluid-structure interactions. Currently I am working on understanding the role of flow interactions in flying bird formations and the hydrodynamics of swimming fish. I also study interactions between vortices and free surfaces.

From 2022 to 2025, I was a Courant Instructor/Assistant Professor at the Courant Institute of Mathematical Sciences (New York University) working in the Applied Math Lab, primarily with Leif Ristroph and Jun Zhang. My PhD research focused on the dynamics of extensible membranes in inviscid flow. My advisor was Silas Alben and my co-advisor was Karthik Duraisamy. Prior to that, I worked on modeling the manufacture of microstructured optical fibers and on the leapfrogging motion of vortex pairs.

News & Recent Updates

• New papers
  
  1. Reflection of vortex rings at a water-air interface, Z. Su, C. Mavroyiakoumou, J. Zhang, Phys. Rev. Fluids, 10, 074703 (2025)
  2. Sail dynamics during tacking maneuvers, C. Mavroyiakoumou, S. Alben, Phys. Rev. Fluids, 10, 073901 (2025)
     *Editors' Suggestion*, *Featured in APS Physics Magazine*
  
  3. Order and chaos in systems of two and three coaxial vortex pairs, C. Mavroyiakoumou, W. Shi, Physica D: Nonlinear Phenomema, Volume 481, 134767 (2025)
• New preprints
  
  1. Modeling flying formations as flow-mediated matter, C. Mavroyiakoumou, J. Wu, L. Ristroph [arXiv: 2506.14025] (2025)
  2. Flow interactions and forward flight dynamics of tandem flapping wings, F. Fang, C. Mavroyiakoumou, L. Ristroph, M.J. Shelley [arXiv:2505.13149] (2025)
• Upcoming talks
  
  1. Nov 4, 2025: Leeds Applied Nonlinear Dynamics (LAND), University of Leeds, UK
  2. Nov 21, 2025: Séminaire PMMH, ESPCI Paris, France
  3. Dec 5, 2025: Fluid Dynamics Seminar, Imperial College London, UK
  4. Jan 23, 2026: Séminaire IRPHÉ, Aix-Marseille University, France
  5. Jan 28, 2026: Fluid Dynamics Research Centre Seminar, University of Warwick, UK

Education

• Ph.D. (Applied & Interdisciplinary Mathematics and Scientific Computing) University of Michigan, USA, 2017-2022
• M.Sc. (Mathematical Modeling and Scientific Computing) University of Oxford, UK, 2016-2017
• B.Sc. (Mathematics) Imperial College London, UK, 2013-2016

Awards & Scholarships

• Fulford Junior Research Fellowship, Somerville College, University of Oxford, 2025-2027
• Joseph B. Keller Postdoctoral Fellowship, New York University, 2023-2024
• Peter Smereka Award for Best Applied Math Thesis, University of Michigan, 2022
• ProQuest Distinguished Dissertation Award, Honorable Mention, University of Michigan, 2022
• SIAM Student Chapter Certificate of Recognition, 2022
• Rackham Predoctoral Fellowship, University of Michigan, 2021-2022
• MCAIM Award, University of Michigan, 2021-2022
• Rackham International Student Fellowship, University of Michigan, 2018-2019
• Michigan Institute for Computational Discovery and Engineering (MICDE) Fellowship, University of Michigan, 2017-2018
• Mathematics Department Graduate Fellowship, University of Michigan, Summer 2017, 2019, 2020
• UROP Award for outstanding research project, Imperial College London, Department of Mathematics, October 2015
• Funding for Undergraduate Research Opportunities Programme (UROP)
  • Dynamics of Interacting Vortices, Imperial College London, Summer 2015
  • The QRD and SVD of matrices over a real algebra, Imperial College London, Summer 2014