Research Team
PDRAs and PhDs
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Dr Christopher Stuart Daniel
PDRA - The University of Manchester
Dr Christopher Stuart Daniel recently obtained his EngD from the University of Manchester with a thesis on the development of crystallographic orientations (textures) during hot-rolling of dual-phase zirconium alloys. In LightForm, Christopher leads the in-situ characterisation of light alloys and is working to develop in-situ characterisation capabilities for studying the micro-mechanics of deformation at elevated and hot and warm forming...
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Dr Patryk Jedrasiak
PDRA - The University of Cambridge
Dr Patryk Jedrasiak completed an MPhil in Engineering and a PhD in numerical modelling of friction welding at the University of Cambridge, where he is now a Research Associate. Patryk’s research experience includes a fellowship at Harvard University, focusing on a novel Eulerian numerical method for simulating elastoplastic solids, 3 years part-time at the industrial sponsor of his PhD,...
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Dr Adam Plowman
PDRA - The University of Manchester
Dr Adam Plowman has recently completed a PhD at The University of Manchester, using first principles atomistic simulation to study zirconium grain boundaries, with the aim of understanding the pellet-cladding interaction in the fuel rod cladding tubes of light water nuclear reactors. In LightForm, Adam will create a framework to improve modelling capabilities in assessing the formability of light alloys....
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Dr Thomas Jailin
PDRA - The University of Manchester
Dr Thomas Jailin completed his PhD at the National Institute of Applied Sciences (INSA) in Lyon (France), during which he studied the thermo-mechanical behaviour of Zircaloy-4 fuel claddings in simulated accidental situations. In LightForm, Thomas is working on the forming simulations of light alloys. This includes the development of constitutive laws linking the microstructure properties to the macroscopic mechanical...
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Dr. Y. Xiong
PDRA - The University of Manchester
Dr. Y. Xiong obtained his PhD from Tohoku University, Japan with a thesis on the corrosion fatigue behaviours of austenitic stainless steels in nuclear environments. His research interests include the corrosion and cracking behaviours of structural materials. He is currently working at LightForm at the University of Manchester as a PDRA, with a project focussing on corrosion and stress corrosion...
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Dr Madeleine Bignon
PDRA - The University of Manchester
Madeleine completed her PhD at the University of Nantes (France) and Lancaster University (UK) with a thesis on martensitic transformation in titanium alloys. In LightForm, she is studying the interactions between deformation and precipitation in age-hardened aluminium alloys. Her work primarily focuses on developing models coupling precipitation kinetics and plasticity, and advanced experimental techniques such as electron microscopy and small...
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Dr Victoria Yardely
PDRA - Imperial College London
We look forward to updating this information shortly.
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Dr. Michael D Atkinson
Associate PDRA - The University of Manchester
Michael completed his PhD with the Advanced Metallic Systems CDT at the University of Manchester. In his project he used both experimental and modelling techniques, including sub-micron resolution digital image correlation and full-field crystal plasticity to study material deformation during load reversal in aero-engine alloys. Michael currently works closely with the LightForm team as part of the EPSRC project ...
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Nicholas Byres
PhD - The University of Manchester
Nicholas joined The University of Manchester in 2013 to study an integrated Masters with industrial experience in Biomaterials and Tissue Engineering. In 2017, Nicholas obtained a Master’s Diploma with First-Class Honours with a year’s industrial experience, obtained whilst working for a stem cell research facility in Santiago, Chile. Currently completing a PhD with The University of Manchester, Nicholas...
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Hanwen Fu
PhD - The University of Manchester
Hanwen completed an MSc in Advanced Engineering Materials at The University of Manchester, continuing on to start a PhD in 2018. Her current research concerns novel hybrid thermo-mechanical processing in a Al-Mg-Si alloy, which can enhance yield strength dramatically while retaining moderate ductility. The project will focus on understanding the strengthening mechanisms, for example, strain hardening and precipitation strengthening, during hybrid...
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Ziyu Ma
PhD - The University of Manchester
Ziyu recently completed a Bachelor Degree in Material Science & Engineering from The University of Manchester and a Bachelor Degree in Polymer Science & Engineering from Central South University (China). Ziyu has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training. His PhD focuses on strain path effects during dynamic precipitation in aluminium alloys.
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Yichao Yao
PhD - The University of Manchester
Yichao completed an MSc with Distinction in Advanced Engineering Materials at The University of Manchester and was awarded a Bachelor Degree in Materials Forming and Control Engineering from the Hefei University of Technology (China). Yichao has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester which focuses on chemo-mechanical...
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Wayne Heatman
PhD - The University of Manchester
Wayne completed a BSc in Physical Science at the Open University followed by an MSc in Materials Physics at The University of Salford. Wayne has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester which focuses on the effect of microstructure on the ductility of aerospace titanium alloys. This...
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Ryan Euesden
PhD - The University of Manchester
Ryan completed a Master’s Degree at the University of Sheffield. Ryan has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester focusing on the environmentally assisted cracking of new 7xxx series aluminium alloys.
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Ruiqiang Zhang
PhD - Imperial College
Ruiqiang completed a BSc and MSc from Central South University (China) in 2014 and 2017 respectively. Ruiqiang is now completing a PhD where his research is based within the group of Metal Forming and Material Modelling in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Imperial College London. His research focus is the formability assessment for metallic sheet materials, including boron steel and aluminium alloys,...
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Niall Hughes
PhD - The University of Manchester
Niall obtained a First-Class Honours MPhys and BSc from the University of Leeds. Niall's MPhys project focused on the kinetics of an antiferromagnetic to ferromagnetic transition in Iron Rhodium. Niall's has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester which focuses on 5XXX series Aluminium alloy...
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Kai Zhang
PhD - Imperial College
Kai is currently completing a PhD at Imperial College London, funded by the President's PhD Scholarship of Imperial College London. Kai’s research focus is investigating a novel and cost-effective method to manufacture magnesium alloy sheets.
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Francesco Guarracino
PhD - The University of Manchester
Francesco completed an MEng in Chemical Engineering at the University of Naples Federico II (Italy) in 2018, his thesis concentrated on modelling and production of graded polymeric foams. Francesco has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is studying for a PhD at The University of Manchester focusing on increasing the corrosion resistance of 7xxx Al panels...
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Fan Gao
PhD - The University of Manchester
Fan completed a Master’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Chongqing University (China) focusing on the study of ZM6 (also known as Mg-Zn-Nd-Zr) magnesium alloys. Joining The University of Manchester in 2019 to commence a PhD, Fan’s current research is concerned with the microstructure evolution and mechanical property of AZ31 and ZEK100 wrought magnesium alloys, this...
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Famin Tian
PhD - Imperial College London
Famin completed a BEng in Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation at Dalian University of Technology (China), obtaining an MSc in Advanced Mechanical Engineering from University of Sheffield. Currently at Imperial College London, Famin is completing a PhD at the Dyson School of Design Engineering. His research project focuses on developing a novel, cost-effective Heat Stamping (HS) process for forming complex-shaped...
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Elliot Cooksey-Nash
PhD - The University of Manchester
Elliot has completed an MEng in Material Science and Engineering at the University of Sheffield, where his focus was additive layer manufacturing of high strength 7000 series aluminium alloys, concentrating on the microstructural effect of grain refiners. He then joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is now working on a PhD at The University of Manchester which...
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Benjamin Wilson
PhD - The University of Manchester
Benjamin graduated from the University of Salford in 2017 with a First-Class Degree in Physics and a Master’s Degree which focused on computational methods in quantum chemistry problems. Benjamin has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester which focuses on the application of atomistic modelling techniques...
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Kevin Tanswell
PhD - The University of Manchester
Kevin completed his MEng in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Manchester in 2017, his thesis focussed on the discovery of novel and superior corrosion inhibitors for the replacement of the current aerospace industry standard, strontium chromate. Kevin attained industrial experience during his degree at GKN Aerospace in Sweden, working on thermal sprayed coatings for aeronautical and space engine...
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Xiaohan Zeng
PhD - The University of Manchester
Xiaohan studied Material Processing and Controlling Engineering at Southwest Jiaotong University (China), focusing on magnesium alloy and obtaining the degree of Bachelor of Engineering. She has completed a MSc in Advanced Engineering Material at The University of Manchester, where her focus was the stability of austenite in bearing steel. Xiaohan has recently joined the LightForm for a PhD at The...
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Michael White
PhD - The University of Manchester
Mike completed a BSc in Mathematics, followed by an MSc in Applied Mathematics, both at the University of Manchester. He has since joined the Advanced Metallic Systems CDT, where he aims to develop a microstructural “fingerprint” for titanium alloys. This will essentially define a compressed representation of microstructure, which allows for meaningful comparisons between micrographs to be made,...
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Vincent Kan
EngD - The University of Manchester
Vincent completed an integrated Master's degree in Mechaniacl Engineering in 2018 in the University of Manchester. After a year in industry, he started his EngD in 2019 as part of the Advanced Metallics Systems Cohort of Doctoral Training. His current project focuses on modelling aluminium alloy microstructrues as they go thourough different processes in a production chain.
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Bernadeta Karnasiewicz
PhD - The University of Manchester
Bernadeta completed her Master’s Degree in Materials Engineering at the University of Rzeszów, Poland, gaining first industrial experiences as an intern in a cast iron foundry and in an aerospace manufacturing company. Bernadeta’s thesis was in co-operation with Tata Steel Europe in the Netherlands and carried on research in the field of clogging during...
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Guy Bowker
PhD - The University of Manchester
Guy completed his integrated master's degree in Physics with first class honours at the University of Salford in 2019. He has since joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is now completing a PhD at the University of Manchester involving modelling the microstructure evolution during hot working of titanium alloys. This project includes both crystal plasticity modelling and phase field modelling to determine the mechanisms that cause changes in microstructure and crystallographic texture to occur within titanium – 6% aluminium – 4% vanadium alloy in the mixed-phase region during hot deformation.
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Jiaxin Lv
PhD – Imperial College London
Microstructure evolution in sideway extrusion of aluminium alloys
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Sakina Rehman
PhD - University of Manchester
Sakina has completed an MSc in Advanced Aeronautical Engineering at Imperial College London and a BEng in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Liverpool. Sakina has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is studying for a PhD at the University of Manchester. The aim of her PhD project will be to investigate how modelling changes...
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Patrick Curran
PhD - The University of Manchester
Patrick completed a BEng in mechanical engineering at the university of Manchester in 2020. He then joined LightForm a few months later, working with the Advanced Metallic Systems centre for doctoral training, where he studied the metallurgy necessary for his PhD. His PhD project now looks at how cracks form in unusual titanium microstructures, such as ‘abnormally...
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Zhenjie Cao
PhD - The University of Manchester
Zhenjie completed an MSc with Distinction in Advanced Engineering Materials at The University of Manchester and was awarded Bachelor Degree in Physics from both Jilin University (China) and Tomsk Polytechnic University (Russia). Zhenjie has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is completing a PhD at The University of Manchester which focuses on the effects of...
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Cameron Grant
PhD - The University of Manchester
Cameron completed his integrated master’s degree (MPhys) in Theoretical Physics at the University of St Andrews in 2020. He has since joined the Advanced Metallic Systems Centre for Doctoral Training and is now completing a PhD at the University of Manchester. His research is primarily focused on modelling microstructurally short crack propagation in 7xxx series Aluminium alloys....
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Laura González Duque
PhD - The University of Manchester
Laura has recently joined LightForm where she is pursuing a PhD at the University of Manchester in crystal plasticity and microstructure modelling for rolled aluminium sheet. In the past, Laura studied Chemical Engineering at the University of Cantabria (Spain). She completed an MSc in New Materials under a program between the University of Cantabria and the University of the...
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Juhi Srivastava
PhD - The University of Manchester
Juhi completed a B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering at United College of Engineering and Research (India), followed by an M.Tech in Metallurgical and Materials Engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology, Jodhpur (India). She has recently joined the dual degree PhD program as part of the Indian Institute of Technology, ...
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Yizhuo Ding
PhD - The University of Manchester
Yizhuo Ding obtained his BSc degree in Materials science and engineering at the University of Manchester. Yizhuo is currently doing his PhD in characterisation of WAAM produced 2xxx aluminium-lithium alloys using NanoSIMS and EPMA at the University of Manchester.
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Samuel Engel
PhD - University of Manchester
Samuel graduated from the University of Edinburgh in 2021 with a BSc in Physics with first class honours. He has recently joined the Advanced Metallic System Centre for Doctoral Training and is now completing a PhD at the University of Manchester focusing on the development of microstructural simulation tools for fusion materials.