Subrata Roy, Ph.D.

Professor, Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, University of Florida
Founding Director, Applied Physics Research Group, University of Florida
Founder and President, SurfPlasma, Inc.

36 U.S. Patents

Subrata Roy is an international leader in plasma-based flow control, aerospace innovation, and microbial decontamination technology. He is Professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the University of Florida and founding Director of the Applied Physics Research Group. Through his pioneering work in atmospheric plasma actuators, compact plasma reactors, and electrically driven air vehicles, Roy has advanced technologies with applications in aerospace systems, public health, food safety, water treatment, and space exploration.

Roy is best known for developing novel plasma actuator designs that manipulate airflow, reduce drag, improve fuel efficiency, and control turbulence. His inventions include serpentine, fan, and microscale plasma actuators for flow mixing and turbulent flow control, as well as active film cooling technologies for turbine blades and systems designed to reduce aerodynamic noise. These innovations have broad implications for aviation, transportation, and energy efficiency, helping address costly challenges related to fuel consumption, drag reduction, and aircraft performance.

His inventive work also extends to compact portable plasma reactors for microbial decontamination and sterilization. Through SurfPlasma, Inc., a Florida-based company he founded, Roy has translated laboratory discoveries into practical technologies that use plasma to destroy biological and chemical contaminants without relying on toxic byproducts. These systems have potential applications in reducing healthcare-associated infections, improving food preservation, supporting water disinfection and aquaculture, and enabling sterilization for space return missions. SurfPlasma’s Active Plasma Sterilization technology has been tested in zero gravity and is being developed for use in settings where conventional sterilization methods are limited by size, heat, power, or chemical requirements.

Roy holds 36 U.S. patents and has been named on numerous additional patent applications. The University of Florida has executed 30 license and option agreements based on his patents and patent applications, reflecting the commercial relevance and practical reach of his work. His innovations have contributed to multiple startup companies and have attracted support from federal agencies and industry partners. His research program has received more than $25 million in funding, including support for SurfPlasma.

In recognition of his contributions, Roy is a Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, the American Society for Mechanical Engineers and a Member of the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida. He is also a Distinguished Visiting Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering, a Fellow of the Royal Aeronautical Society, and an Associate Fellow of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has published more than 200 peer-reviewed journal articles and bound-volume publications and has served in editorial and leadership roles for major scientific journals and aerospace conferences.

Roy earned his Bachelor of Mechanical Engineering from Jadavpur University in India and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Engineering Science from the University of Tennessee. Through his inventions, research, entrepreneurship, and mentorship, Roy has advanced plasma technologies that address complex challenges across air, water, food, health, energy, and space systems, leaving a lasting impact on innovation in Florida and beyond.