Ajinkya Pandit

Innovative chemical and pharmaceutical engineer with a passion for problem-solving and translating scientific ideas into practical solutions. Experienced in all stages of pharmaceutical technology development, from concept to large-scale production. Proven ability to lead teams, meet deadlines, and exceed expectations. Strong communicator and collaborator, thrive in diverse environments. Seeking a challenging role in a research-focused company to drive innovation and professional growth.

• Collaborated on a multi-disciplinary MIT team developing an innovative process analytical technology (PAT) solution for pharmaceutical powder drying process, resulting in a Nature Communications publication and 3 filed US patents.
• Recipient of the two-year Marie Skłodowska-Curie COFUND Postdoctoral Fellowship (PROCESS-COFUND) hosted by the University of Limerick, Ireland, for integrated process design for crystallization, filtration, and drying of pharmaceutical powders.
• Co-authored successful proposal for a Proof-of-Concept grant (~$160,000) at Queen's University, UK, focusing on developing a novel continuous crystallizer for API powder processing resulting in one filed UK patent and three high-impact publications.
• Recipient of a three-year national-level Senior Research Fellowship from Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, India, for graduate research on 'Modeling of Crystallization Processes: Batch to Continuous,' focusing on continuous processing of APIs.
• Ranked in the top 0.25% (top 750) of approximately 300,000 candidates in the nationwide Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) engineering entrance exam.

Experimental Tools

• BlazeMetrics, FBRM, PVM, and optical microscopy to measure particle size.
• Crystalline and Crystal16 for solubility determination, and crystallization screening.
• Raman spectroscopy, HPLC, conductivity, refractance, and UV absorbance for liquid phase composition.
• Implementation of process monitoring and control systems integrating temperature and pressure sensors, automated heating, and actuator valves, managed by centralized software.
• Design and fabrication (CNC, 3D printing) of novel prototype geometries.
• Design of optical assemblies using lasers, IR cameras, high-speed cameras, and related data acquisition.
• Design, implementation, and operation of various experimental assemblies spanning crystallization, filtration, and drying and beyond.

Modeling Expertise

• Extensive background in mathematics and computation enabling the development of efficient multiscale models and their timely implementation.
• Proficient in population balance modeling, crystallization process modeling, physics-based multiscale modeling, computational fluid dynamics, numerical methods, and their implementation.
• Software: MATLAB, Aspen, Ansys, Fluent, C, C++, PYTHON, MS Office, Solid Edge.

Scientific Communication

• H-index: 8 (Google Scholar), Citations: 210 (Google Scholar), Journal Articles: 16, Book Chapters: 1, Patents filed: 3 (2 US + 1 UK).
• Extensive experience in technical writing and presentation

Managerial Experience

• Offered guidance and oversight, facilitated training on setups & equipment, conducted regular reviews, and ensured open communication for a graduate student (QUB), three master's students (two at QUB, one at MIT), an undergraduate final year project (UL), and three undergraduate internships (NCL).
• Consistently took the initiative to lead projects while demonstrating strong teamwork capabilities

• Marie Sklodowska-Curie COFUND Fellowship (PROCESS COFUND): Prestigious two-year fellowship hosted by Pharmaceutical Manufacturing Technology Centre (PMTC) at University of Limerick, Ireland.
• Senior Research Fellowship Award: Prestigious research grant in India for graduate studies.