Every month, we welcome new members of the IMDEA Materials team. Here, you can find a short profile of our most recent additions, including their upcoming role with IMDEA Materials and their educational and professional background.

My name is Eduardo Roque. I am from Cáceres (Spain). I did my undergraduate studies at the University of Seville in Aerospace Engineering, followed by a Master’s Degree in Aeronautical Engineering. I completed my Ph.D. studies in Systems and Sustainable Engineering at Loyola University.

My research has centered on the multiphysics modeling of materials used in energy storage systems, such as batteries and thermal storage devices. These models have been focused on analyzing the mechanical degradation mechanisms, particularly cracking, that materials undergo during their operation.

At IMDEA Materials, I will work in the  Multiscale Materials Modelling research group, modeling steel microstructures to analyze the impact of the composition and the manufacturing processes on the material properties.

My name is Mohammad Jalili. I have obtained a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering Applied Design from Iran’s Kashan University. During my Ph.D., I focused on the development of a modeling framework for simulating the deformation of wrought Mg alloys under uniaxial and cyclic loadings using the crystal plasticity finite element method.

In September, 2024, I initiated a research project under the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) postdoctoral fellowship programme at IMDEA Materials Institute as a member of the Multiscale Materials Modelling Research Group, led by Prof. Javier Segurado. In this project, we intend to develop an exhaustive modelling framework for predicting the deformation and subsequent damage of advanced thermal barrier coating systems.

My name is Nestor Rossi, and I’m from Argentina. I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering and a Ph.D. in Engineering with a mention on Computational Mechanics.

My doctoral research focused on the computational design of elastic mechanical metamaterials. In my thesis, I developed a topology optimization technique assisted by crystallographic symmetries to achieve extreme linear elastic properties, and studied how elastic phase-transitions lead to repetitive energy release in non-linear elastic metamaterials.

At IMDEA Materials Institute, I am joining the Computational Solid Mechanics group, led by Dr. Ignacio Romero. My current research focuses on developing numerical methods, including finite elements and meshfree methods, to study the thermomechanical processes involved in additive manufacturing.

In my free time I enjoy cycling and playing padel.

My name is JoAnn Ballor, and I am a postdoctoral researcher funded by the Marie Skłodowska-Curie Fellowship programme.

I have a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and a Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Michigan State University. During my Ph.D. I investigated the phase transformations and mechanical properties of titanium alloys using multi-scale characterization techniques.

Before coming to IMDEA Materials, I taught courses on Global Engineering Systems and Metallurgy as a dual-appointed instructor at Michigan State University and Lansing Community College. I have recently joined the group of Dr. Federico Sket to characterize the microstructures and mechanical properties of additively manufactured Ti-Fe alloys.

In my free time I enjoy hiking, birdwatching, documentaries, sightseeing, and crafting.

My name is Andrea Alonso, and I am from Madrid, Spain. I have an academic background in Industrial Technologies Engineering and a Master’s Degree in Materials Science and Engineering, both from Universidad Carlos III de Madrid.

My previous research, which was the focus of my master’s thesis, centered on high-entropy alloys, specifically a FeNiCoCrMo alloy studied through metal injection molding. My current research focuses on investigating the debinding and sintering processes of stainless steels produced via metal jetting. This experience has deepened my interest in advanced manufacturing techniques and materials processing.

At IMDEA Materials, I will be collaborating with the Sustainable Powder Technologies group as a Ph.D. student, where I will continue to explore and develop innovative approaches in materials science and engineering.

My name is Archana Ravi, and I am from India. I hold an Integrated Master’s degree in Physics from the Central University of Tamil Nadu, Thiruvarur. I previously worked as a Junior Researcher at the International advanced Research Centre for Powder Metallurgy and New Materials (ARCI) in Chennai. Currently, I am a Research Assistant in the Physical Simulation group, working under the guidance of Dr. Ilchat Sabirov.

In my free time, I enjoy spending time with my friends and family, hiking and watching movies.

I am Hari Narayana Karuppaiya, and I hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Mechatronics. I have a year of experience as a Research Assistant at the R&D wing of the Central Institute of Petrochemical Engineering and Technology, India, where I worked on fabricating solid-state lithium-ion batteries using Binder Jetting Technology. I also investigated the role of Phase Change Materials in the discharge behavior of Li-ion batteries through simulations using ANSYS Fluent.

I later completed my Master’s Degree in Additive Manufacturing and 3D Printing from the University of Nottingham, United Kingdom. Currently, I have joined IMDEA Materials as a predoctoral researcher, pursuing my Ph.D. focused on studying the 3D printing process of stainless-steel additive manufacturing using Metal Jetting under the supervision of Dr. Federico Sket.

My name Yufei Liu, a Master graduate in Computational Mechanics from the University Duisburg-Essen in Germany. Recently, I joined IMDEA Materials as a Predoctoral researcher in the Computational Solid Mechanics group led by Prof. Ignacio Romero. My current research focuses on Modelling of creep and bayesian calibration of models.

I like to play badminton in my spare time.

My name is Sama Safarloo. I hold a Master’s Degree in Material Science and Engineering from Sharif University of Technology, Iran. I have recently joined IMDEA Materials Institute as a predoctoral researcher, focusing on developing steel compositions from scrap materials by combining artificial intelligence (AI) and additive manufacturing (AM).

My current research explores innovative ways to enhance steel production by optimising scrap materials, aiming to create efficient, sustainable manufacturing processes.

My name is Jalal Ahmad from Pakistan; I recently graduated from the University of Barcelona with an Erasmus Mundus Joint Master’s degree in Chemical Innovation and Regulation (EMJMD-ChIR). My master’s research was focused on the Synthesis and Luminescent Study of Heterometallic Gold(I)-Copper(I) Complexes.

Recently, I joined IMDEA Materials as a Research Assistant in the HPPN Group led by Prof. De-Yi Wang. My current research focuses on the Synthesis and Characterization of Halogen-Free Flame Retardants for Polymers.