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BCAST people

Director

Professor Zhongyun Fan Professor Zhongyun Fan
Email Professor Zhongyun Fan Director - BCAST - (Professor)
Fan is a professor of metallurgy, the founder and Director of BCAST at Brunel University London. He is the principal investigator/director of the EPSRC funded LiME Research Hub, a national centre of excellence in liquid metal engineering. He is also the principal investigator for the UKRI Interdisciplinary Circular Economy Centre for Circular Metals. He has published over 400 scientific papers with an H-Index of 59 and a total citation of 14071 (Google Scholar). He has led a wide range of research projects as principal investigator with grants totalling over £70M. He has been chairman of 4 major international conferences and members international scientific committee of 6 international conferences. He was the co-chairmen of the Casting and Solidification Society (IOM3, 2012-2018), is a Board Member of the Light Metals Division (IOM3), a Fellow of the Institute of IOM3 and the Institute of Cast Metal Engineers (ICME). He was the recipient of the Elegant Work Prize (1995), the Cook/Ablett Award (2003) and Dowding Medal and Prize (2012) of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). He obtained his first degree in Metallurgy from University of Science and Technology Beijing and his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering from University of Surrey. He started his academic career in 1997 at Brunel University, and prior to this he was a research fellow at University of Oxford and University of Surrey. Professor Fan’s current research interest covers metallic materials processing, solidification under intensive forced convection, heterogeneous nucleation, structure of liquid metals, rheology and alloy development. Fan’s research has been focused on: Understanding of early stages of solidification covering prenucleation, heterogeneous nucleation, Grain initiation and Grain refinement Developing metallic materials for closed-loop recycling Developing innovative techniques for processing light metals.

Academic staff

Professor Hamid Assadi Professor Hamid Assadi
Email Professor Hamid Assadi Professor - Solidification Research
Prof Hamid Assadi is the Head of Virtual Engineering Centre and Professor of Solidification at Brunel University London. He studied Materials Engineering at Shiraz University, and received his PhD in Materials Science and Metallurgy from University of Cambridge in 1996. His work experience includes a professorship at Tarbiat Modares University, as well as several visiting appointments at Helmut Schmidt University, Max Planck Institute for Iron Research, and German Aerospace Centre (DLR). I am interested in modelling and simulation of materials and manufacturing processes, ranging from solidification and diffusion bonding to metal forming and cold spraying, with a focus on microstructure development under dynamic or non-equilibrium conditions. I have been using the finite element method to simulate thermomechanical processes, as well as a combination of phase-field, cellular automata and lattice Boltzmann models to simulate microstructure development in thermal and electrochemical processes. Materials Science and Metallurgy
Professor Shouxun Ji Professor Shouxun Ji Prof. Shouxun Ji is currently a Professor at Brunel University London. He has been focusing on the development of lightweight materials and structures for the automotive industry, aerospace, powered tools, and other sectors. The main activities include purpose-developed aluminium alloys and magnesium alloys with improved ductility, strength (at ambience and elevated temperatures), modulus and thermal conductivity, and the hybrid structures using different materials and different joining techniques. He is also working on new materials and structures for special applications, such as materials for explosive cords and high strength casting materials for aircraft. His works have helped industrial partners to deliver several products in massive manufacturing. Recently, he worked with world leading company to develop magnesium alloys for small engine applications, which requires improved strength and thermal conductivity at room temperature and at elevated temperatures. Prof. Ji have plenty experiences in high pressure die casting including die structure design, gating system design and optimisation, casting process and casting materials. He also worked extensively on other shaped-casting processes such as sand casting, gravity casting, low pressure die casting, semi-solid metal processing of rheo-die casting, rheo-extrusion, and rheo-twin roll casting. His previous works also included cast irons (spheroidal graphite cast iron and austempered ductile iron) and copper alloys. Prof. Ji has published more than 130 papers in the peer-reviewed scientific Journals and more than 20 international patents. He is the member of three ISO technical committee and one BSI technical committee and the editorial member of three scientific journals. CITATIONS & h-INDEX ORCID ID: RESEARCH AWARDS The 2023 award of excellence in the commercial cast product category from International Magnesium Association (IMA) for high temperature magnesium alloy small engine cylinder. Award for ‘Person of the Year 2022’ from International Magnesium Science and Technology Society for the achievement in magnesium research and development. National innovation award in 2017 from CMF UK for advancing casting materials and development of aluminium alloys. His research is on lightweight alloy materials and structures with the overarching goal to advance the state-of-the-art in innovative materials and manufacturing methods in association with the understanding of the mechanical behaviours and strengthening mechanisms of metallic materials from solidification, casting, deformation, and heat treatment. Currently, his research projects include (1) light weight materials for automotive industry, especially super ductile aluminium alloys and magnesium alloys, (2) high pressure die casting of thin-wall casting, (3) semi-solid processing of aluminium alloys and magnesium alloys. Materials and Metallurgy (1) Modulus leader. Lecturing on '' MN5508: Project management'' (2) Lecturing on '' MN5566: Design experience'' (3) Supervision of M. Sc. students (4) Supervision of Ph. D. students
Professor Geoffrey Scamans Professor Geoffrey Scamans
Email Professor Geoffrey Scamans Head of Industrial Research
Geoff Scamans, is a Professor of Metallurgy at Brunel University and the Chief Scientific Officer of Innoval Technology Limited. He obtained his first degree (1970) and his PhD (1974) in Metallurgy from Imperial College. He worked for Alcan in their Banbury research laboratory from 1970 to 2003 and from then at Innoval Technology and Brunel University. Professor Scamans has published over 160 scientific papers in a wide range of subject areas relating to the microstructure, performance and recycling of aluminium alloys.
Dr Chamini Mendis Dr Chamini Mendis
Email Dr Chamini Mendis Head of Academic Affairs
Dr. Chamini Mendis is the newly appointed Reader in Mg research. Prior to this, she was a research scientist at the Magnesium Innovation Centre (MagIC) in the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht in Germany. She received her Ph.D. (2005), M.Eng.Sci. (2000) and BE/LLB (1995/1997)) in Materials Engineering from the Monash University, Australia. Following the doctoral studies, prior to moving to MagIC, she spent 6 years at the National Institute for Materials Science (Tsukuba, Japan) working with Prof. Kazuhiro Hono, first as a JSPS postdoctoral fellow and then as a MANA researcher, the design and characterization of light metallic materials especially newly developed precipitation hardable magnesium alloys, with a special focus on the characterization of nano-scaled particles using advanced transmission electron microscopy and 3 dimensional atom probe tomography. She has published over 100 research publications including research papers in scientific journals, conference proceedings and a book chapter. She is a member of the magnesium committee The Materials Metals and Mineral Society (TMS) was a guest editor of the institute journal JOM. Her current research interest includes development of new advanced magnesium alloys for structural applications using low cost alloying additions for both cast and wrought applications, microstructure property relationships of light alloys, solid-state phase transformations in light metallic alloys with focus on Mg alloys and solidification and thermomechanical processing of Mg alloys.
Dr Yan Huang Dr Yan Huang
Email Dr Yan Huang Senior Lecturer
Dr Huang leads metallic biomaterials research at Brunel, working on both traditional permanent titanium implants and novel biodegradable magnesium medical devices for orthopaedic cardiovascular applications. He recently won three research grants in biomaterials research from the Royal society, EPSRC and European Commission (EC). Dr Huang is a founding member and co-investigator of the EPSRC Future Liquid Metal Engineering (LiME) HUB where he leads the activities on process development and light alloy processing involving both solidification and plastic deformation. He has extensive experience in process innovation for combined solidification and thermomechanical processing (semisolid forming, twin roll casting, and integrated cast-forming), solid state joining, severe plastic deformation for light alloys and light metal matrix composites. He has long term interests in the characterization of microstructure and texture evolution during thermomechanical processing and fundamental issues of strengthening, plastic deformation and grain boundary migration. Teaching: 1)ME3608 Propulsion Systems, Aircraft Structures and Materials, Airworthiness and Stability and Control; 2) ME5537/ME5307 Advanced racing vehicle dynamics IC engines, materials and manufacturing; 3) MACE research method workshops for post graduate students; 4) BCAST training courses. Current interests include the development of advanced casting technologies such as Twin Roll Casting of light alloys, microstructure and texture characterization by EBSD, combined and optimized solidification and themomechanical processing and the related thermodynamics.
Dr Zhongping Que Dr Zhongping Que
Email Dr Zhongping Que Lecturer in Solidification
Dr. Zhongping Que, lecturer of solidification, joined in BCAST in 2014. Prior to that she was an associate professor at Taiyuan University of Technology in R.P. China (2011-2014). Her expertise is in sustainable aluminium alloys development. She has worked (11yrs) and is working in development of resilient aluminium alloys with high performance and high impurity tolerance and delivering the pathways to overcome the recycling challenges. She has published more than 50 papers in scientific reports, JAC, MMTA etc. and holds 4 patents. She as PI, has full-industrial fund (£77K), iCASE studentship in sustainable aluminium. She is currently active in achieving more grants in development of sustainable aluminium. She has supervised 10 students (post-doctoral, PhD, graduate and under-graduate) as supervisor or co-supervisor. She is the guest editor of Crystals and the regular reviewer for multiple international journals (JAC, Materials today communications, material characterization, etc.) She has strong all-round research abilities in thermodynamic calculation, casting, crystallography examination and simulation, etc. Her research skills covered in most of the characterization such as DSC, SEM, XRD, TEM, tensile test, etc. development of resilient aluminium alloys with high performance and high impurity tolerance and delivering the pathways to overcome the recycling challenges. She has more than 20 yrs research experience in alloy design, enhancing the performance (strength of Al-alloys, Mg-alloys, strength and electrical conductivity of Cu-alloys, welding joint,) and development of the sustainable Al-alloys. which involved the heterogeneous nucleation of intermetallic compounds and refinement of compounds in recycled Al-alloys.
Dr Ebad Bagherpour Jahromi Dr Ebad Bagherpour Jahromi
Email Dr Ebad Bagherpour Jahromi Lecturer in Mechanical Characterisation of Metallic Materials
Dr. Ebad Bagherpour is a Lecturer at the Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST), Brunel University London. He oversees the thermomechanical activities at BCAST, including the Physical Thermomechanical Simulation Laboratory (featuring a Gleeble 3800-GTC system) and the mechanical characterization laboratories. His work focuses on deformation mechanisms, forming technologies, and advanced thermomechanical processing techniques. With over 15 years of combined academic and industrial experience, he has established expertise in mechanical material characterization, microstructure-property relationships, cyclic response of metals, and forming processes. Dr. Bagherpour earned his PhD in Materials Science and Engineering through a joint program between Shiraz University and Semnan University, with part of his research conducted as a visiting PhD researcher at Doshisha University, Japan. He also holds MSc and BSc degrees in Materials Science and Engineering from Shiraz University. Before joining Brunel University, he served as a Research Fellow at BCAST, Lecturer at Shiraz University, Postdoctoral Researcher at Doshisha University, and R&D Manager at Shiraz Kahroba Industrial Co. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals & Mining (FIMMM), an Associate Editor for Discover Applied Science (Springer Nature), and a member of several prestigious organizations, including the Elsevier Advisory Panel and the Japan Institute of Metals and Materials (JIM). Dr. Bagherpour has made significant editorial contributions, serving as an Editor for Modern Materials Science and Technology and Engineering and Solid Mechanics, as well as a Guest Editor for Crystals/MDPI. He has reviewed for leading journals such as Acta Materialia, Journal of Alloys and Compounds, and Materials Science and Engineering A. Dr. Bagherpour has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals, reflecting his impactful contributions to metallurgy and materials science, with an H-index of 17 on Scopus and 19 on Google Scholar. Additionally, he has played a key role in organizing and contributing to technical committees for international conferences, furthering research and collaboration in his field. Dedicated to advancing materials science and engineering, Dr. Bagherpour continues to lead research and educational initiatives, driving innovation and excellence in the discipline. Deformation of metals and composite materials; Modeling and Simulation Microstructure-properties relationship in materials Cyclic response of metals Advanced metal and composite forming technologies Metallic materials processing Dislocations Theory, Deformation and Fracture Mechanisms Microstructural and texture evolution in polycrystalline materials Severe Plastic Deformation Mechanical joining Metal Matrix Composite materials (processing and manufacturing) Analytical Modeling and FEM simulations
Dr Raluca Florentina Negrea Dr Raluca Florentina Negrea
Email Dr Raluca Florentina Negrea Lecturer in Electron Microscopy of Metallic Materials
Highly motivated Scientific Researcher with a substantial background in Transmission /Scanning electron microscopy and 12+ years of experience. Advanced analytical and structural characterization of crystalline materials using electron microscopy is my current specialization. With 72 papers in the top-ranking journals, over 1200 citations and h-index of 19, I have a strong international visibility. Through my competences, I was an indispensable collaborator for the development and fulfillment of many national and international research projects. Within these projects, I had the opportunity to initiate and supervise the research activity of young master’s and bachelor’s degree students. Also, the high quality of my works allowed me to interact with world-renowned experts in materials physics.
Professor Isaac Chang Professor Isaac Chang
Email Professor Isaac Chang Head of LiME Training
Prof. Isaac Chang is the appointed Professor of Metallurgy & Materials and Head of LiME Training Centre. Prior to this, he was a Reader and Head of Education at School of Metallurgy and Materials, University of Birmingham. He received his DPhil in Materials Science from University of Oxford (1991) and BSc(Eng) in Materials & Metallurgy from Imperial College, London University. He specializes in the field of physical and powder metallurgy, as well as nanotechnology and ceramic science. His research is focussed on the understanding of the relationship between processing, microstructure and properties of materials for industrial applications in transport, energy, healthcare, defence and electronic sectors. He was the first to discover the solid solution with a face centred cubic (FCC) crystal structure in an equiatomic FeCrCoNiMn alloy (the so-called Cantor alloy) in 2004 together with Prof. Brian Cantor, which has contributed to a brand-new field of materials science known as ‘High Entropy Alloys’ or ‘Multiple Principle Element Alloys’. He holds 7 patents and has published over 121 research papers in scientific journals, book chapters and conference proceedings. He is a Fellow of Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3) and a member of the editorial board for Journal of Materials, Chemistry and Physics. His current research interest includes muticomponent lightweight alloys, high entropy alloys, metallic glasses, nanocomposites, graphene, high throughput material processing for rapid alloy discovery and synthetic biology for advanced materials development.
Professor Dmitry Eskin Professor Dmitry Eskin Professor Dmitry Eskin (1963) joined Brunel University and BCAST in January 2011. He received his Engineering and PhD degrees in Russia and worked in Russian Academy of Sciences (1988–1999). Since 1999, he was a Fellow in Materials innovation institute and since 2008 also an Associate Professor in Delft University of Technology (The Netherlands). He also held positions of Guest Professor at Tomsk State University (Russia) (2014-2021), TMS representative on the MMT joint board, Editor of Journal of Alloys and Compounds (2012-2022), and is currently a Subject Editor of JOM, Editorial Board member of Ultrasonics Sonochemistry, Key Reader for Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A, and Series Editor at CRC Press. Prof. Eskin is a well-known specialist in physical metallurgy and solidification processing of light alloys, author and co-author of more than 350 scientific papers, 5 patents and 7 monographs. Current interests include fundamentals of continuous casting, effects of external fields (incl. ultrasound) on solidification, and composite materials. Prof. Eskin is a recipient of Warren Peterson Cast Shop Technology for Aluminum Production Award (2011, 2013), Aluminum Technology Award (2013) from TMS (USA) and Medeleev Medal (2018) from Tomsk State University (Russia). Recent projects: Physical processing of molten light alloys under the influence of external Fields (Exomet, FP7) Development of a degassing system for aluminium casting processing based on ultrasound (Ultragassing, FP7) Degassing machine for aluminium casting process based on ultrasound (Doshormat, FP7) Fundamental study of cavitation melt processing: opening the way to treating large volumes (UltraMelt, EPSRC) Development of efficient and scalable ultrasound-assisted solidification technologies for manufacturing advanced metallic alloys (Ultra-Cast, EPSRC) Upscaling environment-friendly cavitation melt treatment (UltraMelt2, EPSRC) Sustainable and industrially scalable ultrasonic liquid phase exfoliation technologies for manufacturing 2D advanced functional materials (EcoUltra2D, EPSRC) Performance-driven design of aluminium alloys for additive manufacturing (PAAM, EPSRC) Fundamentals of ultrasonic processing; fundamentals of solidification processing; direct-chill casting; light alloys Solidification processing of metallic alloys; application of external fields to materials manufacturing.
Dr Brian Mckay Dr Brian Mckay
Email Dr Brian Mckay Reader (Teaching & Research)
Dr Brian McKay is currently a senior lecturer in BCAST at Brunel University. Prior to this he was a university assistant at the Institute of Casting Research (ICR), University of Leoben, Austria (2003-2009) and a research fellow at UMIST (2003). He obtained his DPhil from Oxford University, MSc from The Queen’s University of Belfast and BEng from the University of Ulster. He has over 20 years’ experience in solidification research with 1 Patent on novel metal composites (UK Patent No. 1714401.5), 1 trademarked product (Basaltium), and over 30 papers and two co-edited monographs published in the field. His main expertise lies in the fields of castings, composites, interfaces, coatings, and their characterisation using advanced electron microscopy techniques. Whilst his research interests in the past have been centred on understanding heterogeneous nucleation during solidification, these interests now also include Metal Matrix Composites/Nano-composites, Powder Metallurgy and Electroplating. Over the past 9 years Brian has been involved in 11 successful grant awards totalling ~£30M. He is currently PI on a new €11M Horizon 2020 project LightMe, was the Co-ordinator and PI of a €1.6M EU-FP7 grant, HardAlt, involving 12 partners from 6 countries that focused on finding an alternative nano-composite coating for Hard Chrome, a CoI on the £4.5M EPSRC - LiME grant that investigated solidification mechanisms, PI on the £150k “Characterization and Processing of High Thermal Conducting Al-MMCs” grant sponsored by the Korean Institute of Technology (KITECH) that examined the potential of CNT MMCs for High Power Light emitting Diodes (HPLeD’s), PI on the £300k STORM Innovate UK/EPSRC in which a new composite Al core was produced for offshore marine energy mooring connectors and Co-I on the £10M EPSRC Manufacturing Hub grant. He is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and Institute of Cast Metal Engineers and has sat on the Technical/Educational Board of the latter as an adviser since 2012. In addition he is a member of the EPSRC Peer Review College and an Associate Editor of the International Journal of Cast Metal Engineers. Over the years Brian has collaborated with many companies including, LSM, BMW, Alcoa and Alcan. He has given several invited presentations throughout Europe and in 2006 he received a TMS Magnesium Application Award for his work in nucleation and more recently has been a recipient of the Rushlight Responsible Product or Service Award 2017-18 for the STORM connector. Metal Matrix Composites. Basalt Fibres. Nanoparticles. Heterogeneous Nucleation. Grain Refinement. Interfaces. Casting Practices. Electron Microscopy. Current Research Projects Basalt Fibre Reinforced Metal Matrix Composites, O. Adole, T. Minton, L. Anguilano, B. McKay ForeSea Forensic Characterisation Analysis of Offshore Marine Energy Converters, O. Adole, N. Nelson, T. Minton, B. McKay, L. Anguilano LightMe State-of-the-art Industrial Ecosystem for Lightweight Metal Composite Castings, A. Jacot, D. Eskin, E. Nyberg, B. McKay Module Leader, ME0080 Materials Science L0 (20 Credits) (2016-Present) Module Leader, Fundamentals of Metallurgy L6 (2017-Present) Lecturer Fundamentals of Metal Processing L6 (2017-Present) Lecturer, ME1331 Engineering Materials and Design, Manufacturing and Electrical Machines - Castings (2017) Supervisor, ME5500 Dissertation (2016-Present)
Professor Hari Nadendla Professor Hari Nadendla Professor, BCAST Professor Hari Babu Nadendla joined Brunel University London in 2006. Prior to that he was a Research Fellow (1999-2002), then a Senior Research Fellow (2002-2003) and, ultimately, Advanced Research Fellow (2003-2006) at the University of Cambridge. He has published over 200 papers in international peer reviewed journals and holds 4 international patents. He was awarded the PASREG award of excellence in 2007 for his outstanding contribution to the development and characterisation of bulk high temperatures superconductors. During his post-doctoral career, he received best poster presentation awards. Since joining BCAST, his research has expanded from processing of superconducting materials to understanding the heterogeneous nucleation process during solidification, developing chemical grain refiners for Al and Mg alloys, processing of high performance MMCs using intensive melt shearing, and twin roll casting Al-alloys from a recycled source for automotive application. Academic qualifications: Ph. D (Superconducting materials) Defense Metallurgical Research Laboratory, Univ. Hyderabad, India (1998). M. Sc (Physics & Advanced Electronics), University of Hyderabad, India (1992). B. Sc (Maths, Phys. & Electronics), Nagarjuna University, India (1990). Current position: Professor, BCAST, Institute of Materials and Manufacturing, Brunel University London, UK Previous positions: EPSRC Advanced Research Fellow (Dec'06-Oct'08); BCAST, Brunel University London EPSRC Advanced Research Fellow (Oct'03-Nov'06): Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge The Sackler Fellow (Dec 2004-Dec 2006): Magdalene College, University of Cambridge, UK. Senior Research Associate (Nov'02-Sep'03), Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge, UK Leverhulme Special Research Fellow (Dec'00-Nov'02), Department of Engineering, University of Cambridge Research Associate (May'98-Nov'00), IRC in Superconductivity, University of Cambridge, UK. Teaching & Supervision: Module leader for ME5601- MSc (Structural Integrity - Metallurgy and Materials module), Mechanical Engineering, Brunel University London, from 2014. Module leader from ME5307/ME5537/ME5601, M.Eng/M.Sc (Advanced Racing Vehicle dynamics, IC Engines, Materials and Manufacturing), from 2017. ME2301 (Level 2, Fluid Dynamics lab, from 2015). Module leader for ME1331 (Level 1, Engneering Materials, 2017-2019). Projects ME3309-3399, 2017-2018. MSc (Adv. Manufac. Methods : Metals, Electro-ceramics, Superconductors, Composites, Nanotechnology, (Nano-devices), School of Engineering, Brunel University London, 2007 - 2010 Teaching (Theory): Ist and IInd year undergraduate Engineering Materials, Cambridge, 2002 - 2006 IVth year B.Eng student project work (Univ of Cambdrige, 2004-2005) Summer research project studentships- 2002 - 2003, 2003 -2004, 2004- 2005 International visiting Ph.D students and students at IRC in collaboration with other academic staff Teaching (Experiments): Materials lab, Part I At and IB undergraduate at Eng. Dept. (1999-2004) Supervised junior post-docs, several Ph. D students and a technician at IRC in Superconductivity for the past 8 years as a senior researcher in the melt processing group headed by Professor D. A. Cardwell. Experimental techniques in winter school program conducted yearly (2001-2006) at IRC in Superconductivity Awards: Innovation and Entrepreneurship (2016), from Brunel University London. Charles Hatchett Award (2016) Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IOM3). Innovation Award (Nov 2015) from Cast Metals Federation. PASREG award of Excellence (Sept 2007) by the International PASERG Board. Distinctions: Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining Fellow of the Institute of Physics Fellow of the Institute of Cast Metals Engineers Fellow of the UK Higher Education Academy High temperature superconducting materials Magnetic properties of superconductors Nano-structured materials High temperature ceramics Metal matrix and cermaic matrix composites Solidification process, grain refinement & crystal growth Electrolytes for solid oxide fuel cells
Professor Brian Cantor Professor Brian Cantor
Email Professor Brian Cantor BCAST Strategic Advisor
Brian Cantor is a Professor of Materials at Oxford and Brunel Universities. He is also a Trustee of the Science Museums Group, co-Director of the UKRI Interdisciplinary Research Centre on Circular Metals, and a Chief Editor of the new Springer-Nature journal High Entropy Alloys & Materials. He has written over 300 books and papers. He invented the field of Multicomponent High Entropy Alloys and discovered “Cantor alloys”. In the recent past, he has been Vice-Chancellor of the Universities of Bradford and York, Head of Mathematical and Physical Sciences at Oxford, a research scientist at GE Labs in the USA, a consultant for Alcan, NASA and Rolls-Royce, editor of Progress in Materials Science and a Vice-President of the Royal Academy of Engineering. He has worked at other universities such as Sussex, Northeastern, Banaras, Washington State, IISc Bangalore and the Kobe Institute, and chaired or been on boards such as the Marshall Aid Commission, the UK Universities Pensions Forum, and Bradford, Leeds and York Local Economic Partnerships (LEPs). He founded, chaired and built up the Begbroke Science Park, the Heslington East Campus, the Hull-York Medical School, the Institute for Effective Education, the Wolfson Centre for Applied Health Research, the Centre for Applied Human Rights, the Digital Health Enterprise Zone, the National Science Learning Centre, the World Technology Universities Network, and the CircularMetal Research Centre. He has received academic prizes, honorary professorships and fellowships in the UK, USA, China and India. He was awarded a CBE for services to higher education in 2013.

Research staff

Dr Hua Men Dr Hua Men
Email Dr Hua Men Senior Research Fellow - Heterogeneous Nucleation
My current research interest is atomistic mechanism of heterogeneous nucleation and mechanism of growth interface kinetics, using molecular dynamics simulation, machine learning and analytical modelling. The purpose is to establish the machanism of early stage of solidification at an atomic level, and finally to predict the microstructures of complex castings with high efficiency and accuracy. Molecular dynamics simulations on nucleation, crystal growth and modelling of solidification Nucleation; Crystal growth; Molecular dynamics simulations; Machine learning; Modelling of solidification
Dr Yun Wang Dr Yun Wang
Email Dr Yun Wang Senior Research Fellow
Dr Wang joined BCAST as a research fellow in December 2007. He obtained his PhD in materials science at University of Sheffield, and worked as a research fellow at University of Sheffield and University of Surrey. Dr Wang’s main research interests are solidification processing, microstructural characterisation, heat treatment and phase transformation of light metals and alloys. His current research focuses on revelation of the nature of oxide films and other inclusions in alloy melt, understanding of heterogeneous nucleation mechanisms for Al- and Mg-based alloys, and microstructural characterisation of light alloys by high resolutuion electron microscopy, including aberration (Cs) corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy. Representative publications: Y. Wang, G. Liu and Z Fan, “Microstructural evolution of rheo-diecast AZ91D Mg alloy during heat treatment”, Acta Mater. 54(2006), 689. Y. Wang, M.Xia, Z.Fan, X.Zhou and G.E. Thompson, “The effect of Al8Mn5 intermetallic particles on grain size of as-cast Mg-Al-Zn AZ91D alloy”, Intermetallics, 18(2010), 1683. Y. Wang, G Liu and Z Fan, “A new heat treatment procedure for rheo-diecast AZ91D Mg alloy”, Scripta Mater. 54(2006), 903. Y. Wang, Z Fan, X Zhou and G.E. Thompson, “Characterisation of magnesium oxide and its interface with alpha-Mg in Mg-Al based alloys”, Philos. Mag. Letts., 91(2011) 516-529. Z. Fan, Y. Wang, Y. Zhang, T. Qin, XR. Zhou, GE. Thompson, T. Pennycook, T. Hashimoto, Grain refining mechanism in the Al/Al–Ti–B system, Acta Mater. 84(2015) pp.292-304. Z. Fan, Y. Wang, M. Xia and S. Arumuganathar, “Enhanced heterogeneous nucleation in AZ91D alloy by intensive melt shearing”, Acta Mater, 57(2009), 4891. Y. Wang, G. Liu and Z. Fan, “A new heat treatment procedure for rheo-diecast AZ91D Mg alloy”, Scripta Mater. 54(2006), 903. M. Hitchcock, Y. Wang and Z. Fan, “Secondary solidification behaviour of rheo-diecast Al-Si-Mg Al alloy”, Acta Mater. 55(2007) 1589. H-T Li, Y. Wang Y, Z Fan “Mechanisms of enhanced heterogeneous nucleation during solidification in binary Al-Mg alloys”, Acta Mater. 60(2012), 1528. L. Wang, W. Lu, Q. Hu, M. Xia, Y. Wang, J Li, Interfacial tuning for the nucleation of liquid AlCu alloy, Acta Mater. 139(2017) 75. G. Liu, Y. Wang, Z. Fan, A physical approach to the direct recycling of Mg-alloy scrap by the rheo-diecasting process, Mater. Sci. Eng. A, 472(2008) 251. S. Ji, Y. Wang, D. Watson, Z. Fan, Microstructural evolution and solidification behavior of Al-Mg-Si Alloy in high-pressure die casting, Metall. Mater. Trans.A, 44A(2013) 3185. Y. Wang, H. Jones and PV. Evans, “Eutectic solidification characteristics of Bridgman grown Al-3Fe-0.1V alloy”, J. Mater. Sci., 33(1998), 5205. A. Sareen, Y. Wang, Ulf. Sodervall, Per Lundgren and S. Bengtsson, “Effect of Si cap layer on parasitic channel operation in Si/SiGe metal–oxide–semiconductor structures”, J. Appl. Phys. 93(2003), 3545. Y. Wang and H. Jones, "Effects of growth velocity on the growth temperature of the Al-AlxFe eutectic in Al-2.85Fe-0.12V alloy", Metall. Mater. Trans. A, 32A(2001), 1251. Y. Wang, W.M. Rainforth, H. Jones and M. Lieblich, “Dry wear behaviour and its relation to microstructure of novel 6092 aluminium alloy–Ni3Al powder metallurgy composite”, Wear, 251(2001), 1421. Y. Wang, GW. Lorimer and FR. Sale, “Microstructural development during consolidation of rapidly solidified Al-Fe-V-Si powder by VHP, extrusion and rolling”, Scripta Metall. Mater. 31(1994) 1337.
Dr Seyedmehdi Hosseini Dr Seyedmehdi Hosseini
Email Dr Seyedmehdi Hosseini Research Fellow II
Dr. Seyedmehdi Hosseini joined BCAST as a research fellow in July 2021. He has been fascinated by the design and implementation of new technological setups to develop robust Al, Mg, and Fe-based alloying systems. Prior to joining BCAST, he had been working at NIOC as the leader of the offshore QC/QA team from 2011 to 2018 while he obtained his PhD from Semnan University in 2016. In 2018, he was awarded an individual fellowship by the European structural and investment funds, European Commission (ChemJets Project, MSCA-IF concept) to start his post-doc at the University of Chemistry and Technology, Prague, working on the development of Al composite quasicrystals applicable at high temperatures. Thereafter, he was offered a new research fellow position at the Czech Academy of Science to continue his work on the evaluation of corrosion and tribological behavior of Al-based quasicrystals in 2020. At BCAST, he has been contributing to three projects, including setting up the EPT equipment for the crack healing of large industrial components (Horizon 2020 LEVEL-UP project), the development of multicomponent single-phase alloys (LiME Hub project), and the strengthening of Al alloys applicable in the automotive industry (STEP project). His achievements include a seven-year experience in the oil and gas industry, one granted patent, publication of 15 peer-reviewed articles, accumulation of over 370 citations, and numerous presentations delivered at national/international conferences.
Dr Erdem Karakulak Dr Erdem Karakulak
Email Dr Erdem Karakulak Research Fellow - Casting and Solidification Processing of High Performance Automotive Extrusion Alloys
Dr Erdem Karakulak received his PhD (2013) in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering from Kocaeli University, Turkey. He joined BCAST as a research fellow in 2018. Prior to this he was an Assistant Professor in Kocaeli University (2013-2018), and a visiting researcher in Magnesium Innovation Centre (MagIC) in the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht in Germany (2014-2015). His research is mainly focussed on casting and solidification of aluminium and magnesium alloys, recycling of aluminium alloys, process-microstructure-property relationship and physical metallurgy of light metals.
Dr Jaime Lazaro Nebreda Dr Jaime Lazaro Nebreda Dr. Jaime Lazaro Nebreda joined BCAST as a Research Fellow in 2014. Before he had received his Physics, Master and PhD Degrees from the University of Valladolid (Spain), where he worked as a research Assistant for over 10 years on the production and characterization of polymeric and metallic cellular materials and aluminium composites. His research within BCAST focused on the development and improvement of a multi-purpose physical melt conditioning technology to clean and purify aluminium and magnesium alloys. This research improved the recyclability of aluminium alloy scrap by facilitating the easy elimination of unwanted dissolved gasses and the removal of accumulated elements like iron, oxides and non-metallic inclusions in the melt at a reduce cost compared to current industrial methods. His current work also focuses on Advanced Casting Processes, technology up-scaling and quality control using novel non-destructive characterization techniques, such as X-ray computed tomography. He holds a patent and over 40 research publications in scientific journals, book chapters and conference proceedings and has also participated in more than 10 projects funded by the EU and the UK in close collaboration with industrial partners. processing - structure - properties relationship Process quality control purification and recyclability of materials Fe-containing intermetallic compounds in Al alloys Removal of impurities (Fe, Mn, oxides, gases,...) from Al and Mg melts Development of High Shear Melt Conditioning (HSMC) technology Up-scaling casting processes Non-destructive testing (NDT) of electric vehicle components X-ray computed tomography 3D image analysis Microstructure-properties relationship in materials Improve generic properties of LPDC and HPDC components
Dr Zhichao Niu Dr Zhichao Niu
Email Dr Zhichao Niu Research Fellow
Dr Zhichao Niu joined BCAST as a research fellow in 2018. His research interests include advanced casting techniques, material processing, microstructural characterisation and characterisation on material mechanical properties. His current research focuses on material development and treatment for recycling purposes.
Dr Pavel Shurkin Dr Pavel Shurkin
Email Dr Pavel Shurkin Research Fellow
Dr. Pavel Shurkin is currently a Research Fellow in Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology. His areas of expertise include Physical Metallurgy of Aluminium alloys, development of new alloys with focus on high recycled content, microstructure and properties evolution during solidification and solid-state processing.
Dr Fazlollah Sadeghi Hosnijeh Dr Fazlollah Sadeghi Hosnijeh I've had a history on solidification and casting of metallic materials including Al alloys, continuous casting of steels, directional solidification of Ni-based superalloys, and Ti alloys. Besides, the materials characterization using optics, X-ray, electron, and even neutron beams has been my area of expertise in understanding the response of microstructure to various thermo-mechanical processes. Materials Characterization; Continuous casting; Ni-based Superalloys Al alloys; Casting; Solidification
Dr Shubham Sanjay Joshi Dr Shubham Sanjay Joshi
Email Dr Shubham Sanjay Joshi Research Fellow - Rejuvenation of fatigued metals
Dr Shubham Sanjay Joshi is a Research Fellow in the CircularMetal research project at UKRI Interdisciplinary Centre for Circular Metals at BCAST. He focusses on the physical metallurgy aspect of a global health service system for metallic components (MHS) for the rejuvenation of fatigued metals. Dr Joshi holds a PhD in the field of metallurgy, with a thesis titled "Investigation of the link between mechanical properties and microstructure of Ni20Cr alloy manufactured by laser powder bed fusion" from Groupe de Physique des Matériaux Rouen, France. His research interests encompass a wide range of subjects, including physical metallurgy, additive manufacturing, and the complex interplay between process, microstructure, and material properties. Dr Joshi completed his MSc from RWTH Aachen University in Germany with industrial experience on designing of Aluminium alloys via CALPHAD for additive manufacturing at Airbus Defence and Space in Ottobrunn, Germany. Beside research, Dr Joshi is a football enthusiast and a passionate podcaster, sharing his insights on the beautiful tiki-taka game of FC Barcelona through his football podcast. He also enjoys cricket. Laser Powder Bed Fusion (Scalmalloy®, Inconel, 316L SS) Alloy Designing Phase Transformation Computational Thermodynamics (CALPHAD) Circular Metal Research Microstructural Characterisation - TEM, STEM, SEM Deformation/ Strain Hardening Mechanisms Fatigue Behaviour Processing-Microstructure-Properties relationship Additive Manufacturing
Dr James Famelton Dr James Famelton
Email Dr James Famelton Lecturer in Physical Metallurgy (Constellium)
Dr James Famelton started as a research fellow with BCAST in May 2022. Prior to this he completed a DPhil in materials science at the University of Oxford, investigating the solute clusters and precipitates that from in high strength Al-6XXX alloys using atom probe tomography. His current work focus on nano-scale characterisation of precipitates and solute clusters using atom probe tomography and transmission electron microscopy.
Mr Enrique Myro Mr Enrique Myro
Email Mr Enrique Myro Research Fellow in the development of multicomponent alloys
Enrique completed his 5-year degree in Chemistry with a final year in Materials Science at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid. Between 2012 and 2016, he worked as a volunteer at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid in studies of heritage identification and conservation, at the Universidad Complutense de Madrid in metallurgy and alloys for biomedical engineering and at the Centro Nacional de Investigaciones Metalúrgicas (CENIM-CSIC) for the study of new light high-entropy alloys. His PhD project at the University of Glasgow focuses on the characterization and optimization of dual-phase titanium alloys. He is waiting for his VIVA exam. In February 2023 he joined as Research Fellow in the School of Metallurgy and Materials at the University of Birmingham until July 2023, when he joined as Research Assistant in BCAST at Brunel University London where his work focuses on the development of multicomponent alloys.
Dr Feng Gao Dr Feng Gao
Email Dr Feng Gao Senior Research Fellow
Feng Gao graduated and was awarded the PhD degree from Xiamen University in China in 2009. He joined the BCAST, Brunel University London in 2012 as research fellow following work as lecture at Qingdao University of Science and Technology in China. He was made senior research fellow at BCAST in 2022. Modelling of solidification and grain refinement of Al and Mg alloys, including analytical and numerical models. Thermodynamic calculations on alloys Design of new Al and Mg alloys My research focuses on design of new alloys on the basis of CALPHAD (calculations of phase diagrams) method and grain refinement of Al and Mg alloys during solidification.
Dr Maryam Torfeh Dr Maryam Torfeh
Email Dr Maryam Torfeh Postdoctoral Research Fellowship - Intelligent Processing of Aluminium
Dr Mian Zhou Dr Mian Zhou
Email Dr Mian Zhou Research Fellow - Intelligent Extrusion of Aluminium
Dr Chengbo Zhu Dr Chengbo Zhu
Email Dr Chengbo Zhu Research Fellow
Dr Chengbo Zhu’s research interest and speciality lie in the additive manufacturing (AM) of metals and alloys. Before joining Brunel University, he worked on a joint industry project supported by Weir Minerals Australia at RMIT University, Australia. In the project, he successfully solved the cracking problem in the AM of white cast irons, which were conventionally considered unweldable. He also designed specific white cast iron alloys for the AM process, making the material a good candidate for repairing and/or hard-facing material. The research accelerated the adoption of this cost-effective manufacturing technique in the mining industry. Upon joining Brunel University/BCAST, Dr Zhu is currently working on a project that aims to design a new class of aluminium alloys specifically for the AM process with low cracking susceptibility, refined microstructure, and thermal stability at elevated temperatures. With in situ and oprando synchrotron X-ray imaging and diffraction technique, the design of the new aluminium alloy provides a fundamental understanding of the solidification behaviour of the alloys in AM. The new knowledge and methodology from this research can be used for future alloy development in AM.

Doctoral Researchers

Mr Abdallah Abu Amara Mr Abdallah Abu Amara Abdallah is a Doctoral Researcher at the Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST). His research is in the field of Aluminium Metal Matrix Composites and the aim of his PhD is to enhance the mechanical properties of 6xxx series alloys through ceramic nano-particle additions. This work is part of the Horizon 2020 EU FLAMINGo project. Abdallah has presented his work to the scientific community at international conferences and has published in scientific journals. Recyclability and sustainable manufacturing of aluminium alloys and composites. Development of high specific strength alloys for the automotive and aerospace sectors. Processing of Metal Matrix Composites using stir casting and ultrasonic melt treatment. Direct Chill casting and Extrusion.
Mr Amir Alizadeh Mr Amir Alizadeh Amir Alizadeh is a doctoral researcher at Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST) under Prof Hamid Assadi's supervision in Physics-informed Neural Networks (PINN). His work is part of the Materials Made Smarter Research Centre (MMSRC). He received his MS in communications engineering from the Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Mashhad, Iran in 2021 and his BS in electronics engineering from Guilan University, Rasht, Iran in 2018. Machine Learning, Physics-Informed Neural Networks, Materials Technology, Aluminium Processing, Data-Driven Modelling
Mr Radim Asil Mr Radim Asil Radim is a Doctoral Researcher at the Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST) at Brunel University London. His research topic is about controlling iron-containing phases within 6xxx series aluminium alloys with the aim of increasing the use of scrap aluminium, thus reducing the need on mining activities which will help reduce carbon dioxide emissions. His industrial case (ICASE) PhD is titled, "Synergetic effect of surface-active metallic additions on structure modification in aluminium alloys". His principal supervisor is Professor Dmitry Eskin. The project is funded by both EPSRC and Constellium. Aluminium alloys Solidification Free-machining alloys Material characterisation
Mr Sadegh Jalalian Mr Sadegh Jalalian Sadegh is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in research focused on the rationalisation of steel grades and specifications using Machine Learning techniques. He graduated in MSc Data Science from University of Salford in UK with distinction. He also worked about four years as a Data Scientist and Machine Learning Engineer in industry in the UK (at VisitBritain) and Turkey (at Altin Cuzdan and Getir). Sadegh's primary areas of expertise include Machine Learning, Deep Learning, and Artificial Intelligence. He excels in the design and implementation of recommendation system engines, as well as conducting in-depth time series analysis. He is proficient in various analytical and visualising tools such as Python, SQL, SAS, Tableau, storytelling, problem-solving, and extracting meaningful information from the data. Big Data Analytics. Intelligent Databases. Recommendation System Engines. Time Series Analysis. Natural Language Processing. Machine Learning, Deep Neural Network, Generative AI
Miss Mizuki Mikami Miss Mizuki Mikami I am a 1st year PhD student at Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST), working on an industrial case (ICASE) PhD titled, 'Compositional Analysis of the Ageing Precipitates in HSA6 Alloys via Atom Probe Tomography.' I graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physics in 2021 and completed my Master of Science in Materials Science in 2023 at Chiang Mai University, Thailand. My main research interest is on microstructural characterisation and Aluminium alloys. Aluminium alloys Material characterisation
Mr Hossein Nekoomanesh Fard Mr Hossein Nekoomanesh Fard Hossein joined Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification (BCAST) as a doctoral researcher in 2023. He received his MSc in Materials Science and Metallurgy in 2010 from Tarbiat Modares University (Tehran-Iran).
Mr Sri Saran Gunasekaran Mr Sri Saran Gunasekaran I joined BCAST as a Doctoral Researcher in January 2024, after completing my Bachelor's degree in Metallurgical Engineering in 2017 and earning my MSc in Advanced Engineering Materials from the University of Manchester, UK, in 2023. My Master's project was focused on the thermomechanical processing of Zirconium alloys for nuclear applications. My PhD research focuses on the use of the Gleeble Thermomechanical Simulation system to replicate the extrusion processing of high-strength Al 6xxx alloys. The ultimate goal is to understand the development of sub-structure during different deformation paths and how these contribute to the development of final property profile. Thermomechanical Processing
Mr Priyansh Khandelwal Mr Priyansh Khandelwal Priyansh is a doctoral researcher at Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST). His research focuses on studying the effects of Sc on the microstructure and mechanical properties of cast aluminium alloys. He received his masters in Product Development & Manufacturing in 2023 from Cranfiled University, UK and bachelors in Mechanical Engineering from VIT University, India in 2022. Aluminium Alloys Casting Material Characterisation Manufacturing Metallurgy Material Science Mechanical Design & Development
Mr Adam Birchall Mr Adam Birchall Adam Birchall is a final year PhD Student investigating the use of machine learning techniques for the optimisation of themomechanical treatments of aluminium alloys. This investigation looks at the combination of pure data-driven machine learning techniques and domain knowledge into one method. He recieved his MEng in Nuclear Engineering from the University of Birmingham in 2020, a 4 year integrated masters incorperating a combination of Materials Science and Nuclear Physics. His final Masters project was on the use of machine learning for the prediction of heatflow in powerbed technologies.
Mr Syed Hassan Fatimi Mr Syed Hassan Fatimi I am a PhD researcher with background in theoretical and computational physics. My PhD research is based upon the use of machine learning and evolutionary algorithms in high-throughput alloy design for sustainable materials, a project funded by UKRI within the Circular Metals initiative. I am part of Intelligent Data Analysis (IDA) group in department of Computer Science. This research group deals with multi-disciplinary work involving Artificial Intelligence, Data Science and Statistics. Applications of machine learning and deep learning as well as physics-informed statistical modeling. Machine learning, supervised classification, evolutionary algorithms, soft computing, computational physics and theoretical material science. Currently a Graduate Teaching Assistant for the following modules: Introduction to Artificial Intelligence (Bachelors), Deep Learning (Masters)
Miss Maryam Izadi Najafabadi Miss Maryam Izadi Najafabadi Maryam is a doctoral researcher at Brunel Centre for Advanced Solidification Technology (BCAST) in developing diagnostic methods for the fatigue performance of metals. She received her MSc in material engineering from the Iran University of Technology, Tehran, Iran in 2018 and her BSc in industrial metallurgy from Isfahan University of Science and Technology in 2015. She has more than 3 years experience as a researcher. Plastic deformation, fatigue of materials, aluminium processing, multi component alloys and material characterisation
Mrs Spandana Kornepati Mrs Spandana Kornepati Improving the thermal conductivity of aluminium cast alloys with moderate mechanical strength for the application of battery casings in EV's
Mrs Upendra Don Merenchige Mrs Upendra Don Merenchige Upendra is a dedicated Ph.D. Student in the field of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the esteemed College of Engineering, Design, and Physical Sciences, Brunel University, London. Her research expertise lies in the meticulous investigation of "Life Cycle Analysis and Carbon Footprint Analysis of Structural Automotive Parts." With a robust educational background, Upendra has earned a B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences and Natural Resource Management, complemented by a Masters in Environmental Management. Her academic pursuits have been further enriched by a postgraduate diploma in environment management from Dresden Technical University, Germany, and a specialized course on Building Resilience to Climate Change at UN University, Japan. Armed with a profound understanding of environmental sciences and a keen focus on sustainability, Upendra is poised to make a substantial contribution to the realm of automotive engineering and its impact on our planet's ecological balance. Her passion for innovative solutions and her extensive knowledge in the field mark her as a promising researcher and advocate for sustainable engineering practices.
Miss Shafeequah Muhammad Miss Shafeequah Muhammad 1st Year PhD Student Researching Basalt Reinforced Aluminium Matrix Composites Metal Matrix Composites, Metallurgy, Natural Fibres Casting, Extrusion
Miss Tanu Tiwari Miss Tanu Tiwari Tanu is a 3rd-year Doctoral researcher dedicated to advancing the field by reducing the number of grades in Aluminium alloys through the application of machine learning and AI. She has proficiently employed software tools including Tableau, Azure, and Streamlit. Furthermore, she has developed a novel ML algorithm focusing on the recyclability of aluminium alloys. Education: Graduated with distinction in B.Tech Materials Science and Metallurgy from NIT-Bhopal, India. Graduated with distinction in MS Data science from ExcelR institute, India. Attained an MSc in Materials Science and Engineering with distinction from the University of Birmingham, UK. Professional Achievements: Successfully executed real-time machine learning projects. Completed numerous courses in AI and ML, further enhancing expertise in the field. Proficient in Tools and Software: Thermocalc Streamlit R-language Core python Machine learning Power BI Deep learning Airtificial intellegence Desmos phase analysis Ansys CALPHAD Python Tableau Pycharm SPSS Azure Spark-Hadoop SAAS My-SQL SEM XRD Casting Tools Advanced Excel Phase analysis Aluminium alloys precipitation hardening Data analysis Recommendation systems Machine learning Artificial intelligence 3-D printing Aluminium alloys, CALPHAD, Machine learning, Artificial intelligence, Statatics, and Python
Mr Viththagan Vivekanandam Mr Viththagan Vivekanandam Mr Viththagan is a Doctoral Researcher in the CircularMetal research project at BCAST. He focuses on extend the fatigue life of Aluminium Alloy 6082.

Management and administrative staff

Dr Jayesh Patel Dr Jayesh Patel
Email Dr Jayesh Patel Head of Technology Applications
Dr. Jayesh Patel joined BCAST as a post doctoral research fellow in 2006. In 1999, Jayesh did a 12-month industrial placement at Corus Group Plc., Welsh Technology Centre, UK, in Steel Metallurgy section where, he was involved in an on-going research project, “The development of high strength steels via a cheaper, quicker and flexible processing technology in order to increase the product range for the automotive industry”. Based on his performance during industrial training at Corus Group Plc. he received a sponsorship award of £1500 for his final year graduate study. In 2001, he graduated at Brunel University with a 1st Class BEng. (Hons.) in Materials Engineering with Management. He performed an investigation into the fabrication of a metal foam reinforced ceramic composite (Al/Al2O3) as his final year research project and got nominated for the A T Green Award of The Institute of Materials for best ceramic graduate in UK. During his final year of graduate study, he was offered a PhD Scholarship from Prof. Zhongyun Fan to research on “Aluminium alloy design for semi-solid metal processing”. In 2005, he successfully completed his PhD under the supervision of Dr. Yuqin Liu and Dr. Amitabha Das. Jayesh is currently, the Head of Technology Applications at BCAST, with 10 years of academic, 4 years of industrial and 4 years of managerial experience. His key research and technical expertise are in metallurgy of ferrous and non-ferrous metals, physical and chemical grain refinement of light alloys, advanced solidification research by application of intensive melt shearing, high pressure die-casting, twin-roll casting and direct-chill casting. Over the years he has been involved in various UK and EU government and industrial funded projects researching on physical and chemical grain refinement of non-ferrous metals such as Aluminium, Magnesium, Zinc and Copper. In the recent years, his main focus has been in preparing the high shear melt conditioning technologies developed at BCAST, for commercial applications especially for the automotive and recycling industry. He regularly attends various international conferences and industrial meetings to promote the R&D portfolio of BCAST. He has an academic track record of over 60 publications, with a h-index of 17 and a total of 872 citations. He has been involved in various collaborative R&D projects with some well-known organisations such as; Jaguar Land Rover, Nissan, Constellium, Luxfer MEL, Arconic, Mahle, Grainger and Worrall, Aeromet, Chinalco, MQP-STNM and AWE. Representative publications:
Dr Tamsin Runnalls Dr Tamsin Runnalls
Email Dr Tamsin Runnalls CircularMetal Project Manager
Qualifications 2005: PhD Pharmaceuticals in the Environment. Brunel University London. 1998: MSc Applied Fish Biology, Plymouth University. 1996: BSc (Hons) Fisheries Studies, Plymouth University. 1998–present Brunel University, London Project Manager The LiME Hub, BCAST Brunel University, London. 2020-present. Project Manager - INTCATCH (EU Horizon 2020) (part time, job share): 2016 - 2020. Post-doctoral Research Fellow (part time): 2011-2019 Intelligent Ecotoxicology – From single chemicals to mixtures (DEFRA) Post-doctoral Research Fellow: 2008-2011 Intelligent Ecotoxicology – Progestogens as a test case. Investigating the effects of progestogens on fish (DEFRA) Post-doctoral Research Fellow: 2004-2008 Detecting endocrine disrupting chemicals in the aquatic environment (EDEN) Research Assistant: 2003: ACE: Analysing the combined effects of mixtures of estrogenic chemicals in marine and freshwater organisms (EC-Fw5) Research Technician: 1998-2001 Development of a reproductive performance test (pair breeding assay) for endocrine disrupting chemicals, using the fathead minnow Selected Publications Runnalls, T. J., Beresford, N., Kugathas, S., Margiotta-Casaluci, L., Scholze, M., Scott, A. P., & Sumpter, J. P.(2015). From single chemicals to mixtures-Reproductive effects of levonorgestrel and ethinylestradiolon the fathead minnow.. Aquatic Toxicology, 169, 152-167. doi:10.1016/j.aquatox.2015.10.009 Kugathas, S., Runnalls, T. J., & Sumpter, J. P. (2013). Metabolic and reproductive effects of relatively lowconcentrations of beclomethasone dipropionate, a synthetic glucocorticoid, on fathead minnows.Environmental Science and Technology, 47(16), 9487-9495. doi:10.1021/es4019332 Scott, A. P., Hill, T., Beresford, N., Runnalls, T. J., Sumpter, J. P., & Ellis, T. (2013). Out-of-season production of17,20β-dihydroxypregn-4-en-3-one in the roach rutilus rutilus. Journal of Fish Biology, 83(2), 233-249.doi:10.1111/jfb.12150 Runnalls, T. J., Beresford, N., Losty, E., Scott, A. P., & Sumpter, J. P. (2013). Several synthetic progestins withdifferent potencies adversely affect reproduction of fish. Environmental Science and Technology, 47(4),2077-2084. doi:10.1021/es3048834 Kugathas, S., Runnalls, T., & Sumpter, J. (2012). Synthetic progestins and glucocorticoids affect fishreproduction and physiology. In 48th Congress of the European-Societies-of-Toxicology (EUROTOX).Stockholm, Sweden. Beresford, N., Brian, J. V., Runnalls, T. J., Sumpter, J. P., & Jobling, S. (2011). Estrogenic activity of tropical fishfood can alter baseline vitellogenin concentrations in male fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas).Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, 30(5), 1139-1145. doi:10.1002/etc.479 Harris, C. A., Hamilton, P. B., Runnalls, T. J., Vinciotti, V., Henshaw, A., Hodgson, D., . . . Sumpter, J. P. (2011).The consequences of feminization in breeding groups of wild fish. Environmental Health Perspectives,119(3), 306-311. doi:10.1289/ehp.1002555 Kugathas, S., Runnalle, T. J., & Sumpter, J. P. (2011). Dose-response effects of chronic exposure of fatheadminnows to low concentrations of a synthetic glucocorticoid (Poster presentation). In SETAC-EuropeConference. Milan, Italy. Paulos, P., Runnalls, T. J., Nallani, G., La Point, T., Scott, A. P., Sumpter, J. P., & Huggett, D. B. (2010).Reproductive responses in fathead minnow and Japanese medaka following exposure to a syntheticprogestin, Norethindrone. Aquat Toxicol, 99(2), 256-262. Retrieved from Paulos, P., Runnalls, T. J., Nallani, G., La Point, T., Scott, A. P., Sumpter, J. P., & Huggett, D. B. (2010).Reproductive responses in fathead minnow and Japanese medaka following exposure to a syntheticprogestin, Norethindrone. Aquatic Toxicology, 99(2), 256-262. Runnalls, T. J., Margiotta-Casaluci, L., Kugathas, S., & Sumpter, J. P. (2010). Pharmaceuticals in the aquaticenvironment: Steroids and anti-steroids as high priorities for research. Human and Ecological RiskAssessment, 16(6), 1318-1338. doi:10.1080/10807039.2010.526503 Rimmer, G., Barber, I., Runnalls, T., Sumpter, J. P., & Katsiadaki, I. (2009). A Stickleback ring test to reduce thenumber of fish used in regulatory testing.. In Fisheries Society of the British Isles, Stickleback 2009: The6th International Conference on Stickleback Behaviour and Evolution. Leicester University UK. Brian, J. V., Harris, C. A., Runnalls, T. J., Fantinati, A., Pojana, G., Marcomini, A., . . . Sumpter, J. P. (2008).Evidence of temperature-dependent effects on the estrogenic response of fish: Implications with regardto climate change. Science of The Total Environment, 397(1-3), 72-81.doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2008.02.036 Harris, C. A., Runnalls, T. J., Hamilton, P. B., Jobling, S., Tyler, C. R., & Sumpter, J. P. (2008). Assessing thereproductive ability of intersex roach. In 18th Annual Meeting of SETAC Europe. Warsaw, Poland. Paulos, P., Runnalls, T., Hala, D., Nallani, G., Venebles, B., La Point, T., . . . Huggett, D. (2008). Effects ofnorethindrone, a synthetic progestin, on reproductive parameters in fish. In 29th Annual Meeting ofSETAC North America. Tampa, Florida. Harris, C. A., Runnalls, T. J., Hamilton, P. B., Jobling, S., Tyler, C. R., & Sumpter, J. P. (2008). Assessing thereproductivity ability of intersex roach. In 5th Annual Meeting of the SETAC World Congress.Sydney, Australia. Runnalls, T. J., Hala, D. N., & Sumpter, J. P. (2007). Preliminary studies into the effects of the humanpharmaceutical Clofibric acid on sperm parameters in adult Fathead minnow. Aquatic Toxicology, 84(1),111-118. doi:10.1016/j.aquatox.2007.06.005 Brian, J. V., Harris, C. A., Scholze, M., Backhaus, T., Booy, P., Lamoree, M., . . . Sumpter, J. P. (2005). Accurateprediction of the response of freshwater fish to a mixture of estrogenic chemicals. Environmental HealthPerspectives, 113(6), 721-728. doi:10.1289/ehp.7598 Van Aerle, R., Runnalls, T. J., & Tyler, C. R. (2004). Ontogeny of gonadal sex development relative to growth infathead minnow. Journal of Fish Biology, 64(2), 355-369. doi:10.1111/j.0022-1112.2004.00296.x Handy, R. D., Runnalls, T., & Russell, P. M. (2002). Histopathologic biomarkers in three spined sticklebacks,Gasterosteus aculeatus, from several rivers in Southern England that meet the freshwater fisheriesdirective. Ecotoxicology, 11(6), 467-479. doi:10.1023/A:1021061402491 Harries, J. E., Runnalls, T., Hill, E., Harris, C. A., Maddix, S., Sumpter, J. P., & Tyler, C. R. (2000). Development ofa reproductive performance test for endocrine disrupting chemicals using pair-breeding fatheadminnows (pimephales promelas). Environmental Science and Technology, 34(14), 3003-3011.doi:10.1021/es991292aFurther Publications Sumpter, J. P., Runnalls, T. J., Donnachie, R. L., & Owen, S. F. (2021). A comprehensive aquatic risk assessmentof the beta-blocker propranolol, based on the results of over 600 research papers. Science of the TotalEnvironment, 793(1 November 2021), 1-12. doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2021.148617 Tanoue, R., Margiotta-Casaluci, L., Huerta, B., Runnalls, T. J., Eguchi, A., Nomiyama, K., . . . Sumpter, J. P.(2019). Protecting the environment from psychoactive drugs: Problems for regulators illustrated bythe possible effects of tramadol on fish behaviour. Science of the Total Environment, 664, 915-926.doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2019.02.090 Thrupp, T. J., Runnalls, T. J., Scholze, M., Kugathas, S., Kortenkamp, A., & Sumpter, J. P. (2017). Theconsequences of exposure to mixtures of chemicals: Something from ‘nothing’ and ‘a lot from a little’when fish are exposed to steroid hormones. Science of the Total Environment, 619-620, 1482-1492.doi:10.1016/j.scitotenv.2017.11.081 Tanoue, R., Margiotta-Casaluci, L., Huerta, B., Runnalls, T. J., Nomiyama, K., Kunisue, T., . . . Sumpter, J. P.(2017). Uptake and Metabolism of Human Pharmaceuticals by Fish - A Case Study with the OpioidAnalgesic Tramadol.. Environmental science & technology, 51(21), 12825-12835.doi:10.1021/acs.est.7b03441
Mr Daniel Negrea Mr Daniel Negrea
Email Mr Daniel Negrea Project Manager
Daniel started his career as a theoretical physicist with extensive experience in researching the structure of atomic nuclei. After completing a co-tutelle PhD in theoretical nuclear physics from the University Paris Sud XI, Orsay, France and University of Bucharest, Romania, he secured a permanent position at the National Institute for Physics and Nuclear Engineering (NIPNE) in Magurele-Bucharest. At NIPNE, for more than a decade, he was part of the Department of Theoretical Physics research team and published many articles on proton-neutron isovector and isoscalar pairing correlations. Recently, he joined BCAST as a programme manager of the CircularMetal Interdisciplinary Centre.

Technical staff