The School of Engineering welcomes the following new staff to School and University
School of Engineering
Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Professor of Biomechanical and Oncological Engineering.
Professor Hall focuses on MedTech research, particularly in bone disease, spine, and joint arthroplasty. He has led many large-scale international projects, including EU and EPSRC funded initiatives including the current BioTrib ETN and Oncological Engineering programme grant.
His expertise spans multidisciplinary research, patient engagement, and mentoring, with a solid commitment to innovative medical engineering solutions.
Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Professor of Tribology and Corrosion Engineering.
Professor Bryant holds a Chair in Tribology and Corrosion Engineering, focusing on tribology, material characterisation, and interfacial interactions, particularly for biomedical applications.
His research includes advanced testingmethodologies and real-time assessment of surface processes,with strong ties to industry and regulatory bodies. EPSRC,Wellcome Trust, and other funding bodies fund his work. He received the IMechE Duncan Dowson Prize and the SirThomas Hawksley gold medal.
Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Professor of Manufactruing Automation and Robotics.
Professor Lohse's research aims to enhance the productivity and responsiveness of production systems while improving human well-being and sustainability.
His work focuses on intelligent automation, robotics, AI for assembly and disassembly, and human-robot collaboration. He has extensive experience in leading national and international research projects and collaborates across various sectors, including aerospace, automotive, and medical engineering.
Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering.
Industrial Professor in Industrial Engineering and Design.
Professor Beasley is a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering and an Industrial Professor in Industrial Engineering and Design. Paul was Head of Research and Development UK at Siemens, managing innovation networks and university engagement strategies.
For over twenty years, he held roles at Siemens, including Head of Strategic Development, focusing on disruptive innovation technologies. Before Siemens, Paul worked at Oxford Magnet Technology and Oxford Instruments, leading the Magnet Design and Applications Team.
Department of Mechanical Engineering.
125th Anniversary Fellow and Associate Professor in Surface Engineering.
Dr Sadaghiani has recently secured an ERC Starting Grant(StG) for his SolWater Project, which aims to develop a highly efficient and sustainable solar-powered water purification system.
By creating innovative 3D-engineered structures, his solar-driven interfacial evaporation (SDIE) approach is designed to enhance evaporation, produce clean water more effectively, and shed light on the liquid/vapour interaction during the evaporation process.
As a thermal engineer with a strong focus on surface engineering and interfacial transport in energy and water applications, his research encompasses multiphase flow and phase change phenomena.
Dr Sadaghiani's research profile.
Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering
Dr Adamapolous's research interests include the physics and engineering of a wide range of thin films, such as carbon-based materials, metal oxides, and organic semiconductors that are semiconducting. His research is also focussed in the deposition and characterisation, doping mechanisms, defects and interfaces of solution-processed metal oxide-based conductors, dielectrics, semiconductors and CIGS for high-performance thin film transistors and their applications in touch panel displays, AMOLEDs and optoelectronic devices.
Department of Civil Engineering.
Associate Professor in Geotechnical Engineering.
Dr Mehravar specialises in computational mechanics and experimental modelling in geotechnical engineering, focusingon geo-energy infrastructure, including energy piles and offshore wind turbine foundations.
She has significant experience using biomaterials for ground engineering and has worked on innovative solutions for renewable energy projects. Her interests include smart infrastructure, particularly developing novel sensing technologies and efficient methods for infrastructure condition assessment and sustainable design.
Department of Civil Engineering.
Assistant Professor in Geotechnical Engineering.
Dr Castro focuses on pore-scale processes to develop effective macro-scale engineering solutions. Her work spans several key areas, including sediment classification and characterisation, with implications for electrochemical phenomena and bioactivity, as well as offshore and onshore in situ soil characterisation.
Additionally, she explores the cyclicsaturation effects on buried metallic structures and investigates Microbially Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) for soil improvement and concrete repair applications.
Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering
Assistant Professor in Digital Health Technology
Dr Mahmoodi's research focuses on developing personalised solutions to address major health challenges. Her multidisciplinary work spans the design and development of advanced micro/nano systems, micromechanics, and surface science, with a particular focus on their applications at the cellular level and in early diagnostic technologies. Dr Mahmoodi's research aims to develop patient-centric devices and models to improve the accessibility of healthcare services by applying innovative engineering solutions.
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Assistant Professor in Engineering, Technology and Innovation in Society
Dr Mason-Wilkes is a Science and Technology Studies (STS) scholar interested in media and popular culture representations of science & technology and the interactions and intersections between science & technology, media, citizens and society.
His current research focus is popular and media narratives of future flight and their impacts on innovation and public attitudes. He leads a strand of research on the ESRC-funded Future Flight Challenge Social Science Research Director: Phase 2 project.
Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Assistant Professor in Biomedical Engineering.
Dr Beadling's PhD focused on tribocorrosion in total hipreplacements, developing techniques to quantify corrosive degradation during experimental simulations.
His research covers tribology, joint replacement simulation, and in-situ material degradation, aiming to improve medical device safety through patient-centred testing and biomaterial assessment. His work, funded by EPSRC and industrial partners, has strong connections to tribology research within the UK.
Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering.
Assistant Professor in Digital Healthcare Engineering.
Dr Zhang’s research focuses on computational modelling, pattern recognition, and machine learning for biomedical imaging and data analysis.
His research aims to add understanding and capability in biomedicine by drawing on ideas from medical imaging, computer vision, data science, and machine learning.
Much of his work focuses on Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Image Analysis, Multi-Modality Neuroimage Analysis, and Retinal Fundus Image Analysis.
Department of Electronic, Electrical and Systems Engineering.
Assistant Professor in Space Environment Engineering.
Dr Reid is an expert in space environment data assimilation, particularly in developing particle filters for operational space weather modelling.
His research uses the most available information from highly non-linear and time-dependent measurements. He has created (and maintains) several operational real-time space weather models, including ACHAIM and AIDA.
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering
Dr Olorunlambe is an educational expert interested in using acoustic emission (AE) to monitor the tribological mechanisms of artificial joint materials. This approach can also be extended to diagnosing natural and artificial joint pathologies. Her research interests include Engineering Education, Bio tribology, Acoustic Emission Testing, and Tribology of Mechanical Systems. She leads the education portfolio within the Department towards pursuing academic excellence and a unique student experience.
Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Manufacturing Technology Centre Manufacturing Futures Fellow.
Dr Bolson holds a PhD in Energy Resources and Petroleum Engineering and an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from KAUST.
His research focuses on energy and material flow analysis, sustainability, and industrial decarbonisation, with prior experience as a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge, working on resource efficiency and decarbonisation in the UK's foundation industries.
Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Manufacturing Technology Centre Manufacturing Futures Fellow.
Dr Sarfraz focuses on Sustainable Manufacturing. His research interests include Sustainable Manufacturing, Circular Economy, and Process Optimization.
Before joining Birmingham, Dr Sarfraz was a Research Fellow at Cranfield University, working on the TransFIRe project, and collaborated with Grundfos in Denmark on ecodesign tools for sustainable production.
Department of Mechanical Engineering.
Manufacturing Technology Centre Manufacturing Futures Fellow.
Dr Cant spent 6 years as the Polymer Additive Manufacturing Technical Capability lead at the National Centre for Additive Manufacturing (NCAM).
He led a team of engineers, focusing on advancing AM technologies and developing sustainable materials for ecological applications. His research includes circular economies for AM, resource efficiency in polymeric powders, and early proof-of-concepts for thermoplastic composites in Large Format Additive Manufacturing (LFAM).
Department of Civil Engineering.
Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering (Education).
Dr Salami is an educational expert interested in the dynamic performance of reinforced concrete and timber structures and in research on equality, diversity, and inclusion.
He completed his PhD at the University of Bristol in 2017, focusing on aftershocks' effects on buildings. He then held a postdoctoral position at the University of Warwick, working on the Suramadu Bridge's structural health monitoring.
In 2018, he joined Birmingham City University, taught core modules, supervised students, and led the MSc Civil Engineering course.
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Assistant Professor in Control and Automation
Dr Li's research vision centralises the critical role of artificial intelligence (AI) in shaping the future of automotive technology. Within this framework, the focus covers three key domains: multi-objective control, human-machine interaction, and cyber-physical systems, all oriented toward achieving net-zero and trustworthy engineering solutions.
Professor of Biomechanical and Oncological Engineering
Profile of Professor Richard M Hall, University of Birmingham
Professor of Tribology and Corrosion Engineering
Staff profile for Professor Michael Bryant, University of Birmingham
Professor of Manufacturing Automation and Robotics
Niels Lohse, Professor of Manufacturing Automation and Robotics, University of Birmimghm
Assistant Professor
Profile of Dr Andrew Robert Beadling, Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham
MTC Manufacturing Futures Fellow
Profile of Dr Natanael Bolson, Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham
MTC Manufacturing Futures Fellow
Profile of Dr Shoaib Sarfraz, Mechanical Engineering, University of Birmingham
MTC Manufacturing Futures Fellow
Dr Edward Cant is an MTC Manufacturing Futures Fellow in the Sustainable Manufacturing Group, School of Engineering, University of Birmingham
Assistant Professor in Civil Engineering
Dr Mohammad Reza Salami's staff profile, Department of Civil Engineering, University of Birmingham
