Professor Douglas P. Hart is a principal investigator in the Hatsopoulos Microfluidics Laboratory. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Aeronautical/Astronautical Engineering from the University of Illinois, his master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from the California Institute of Technology. He worked as a research engineer for Electromagnetic Launch Research, Inc. (now Kaman Electromagnetics Corp. a subsidiary of Kaman Corp.) on satellite propulsion and as a senior systems engineer for Northrop Corp. (now Northrop Grumman Corp.) on unmanned drones before joining the faculty in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at M.I.T. in 1993. Professor Hart teaches and conducts research in the areas of fluid mechanics, design, and instrumentation.

Professor Hart is an inventor, co-founder, and board member of three venture-funded companies that include Brontes Technologies, Inc., an M.I.T. Deshpande Center spinout acquired by 3M in 2006, and Lantos Technologies, an M.I.T. Deshpande Center spinout founded in September of 2011. Professor Hart has a long history of successful inventions from within and outside academia. He is an advisor for numerous companies and professional organizations and he has received a number of awards for his research and teaching that include the Robert T. Knapp Award for his work in the area of flow diagnostics, the Keenan Award for Innovation in Education, and the Junior Bose Award for Excellence in Teaching. His current interests include image processing, and optical diagnostics relating to health and the environment.

Professor Hart is a co-founder and chief scientist of Glissade Dental Pte. Ltd.