Chemical Engineering
I lead the Emerging Sustainable Technologies Laboratory at The University of Edinburgh. The ESTech Lab forges the future generation of sustainable energy and separation technologies.The ESTech Lab invented unanticipated solutions for negative emission separation technologies (low grade heat-powered CO2 capture&concentration from the air and hydrothermal carbonisation) along with other emerging heat-powered devices for water and cooling in data centres.The ESTech Lab methods span from Thermodynamics to prototyping and testing, where Thermodynamics is used as an ignition to the design.In its inventions, the Lab often exploits nanoporous solids or ionic nano-interfaces because they make possible a number of processes otherwise nonviable, often unlocking unimaginable opportunities for sustainable living.
- Post-graduate certificate for Academic Practice (PgCAP). The University of Edinburgh, Moray House School of Education and Sport, Edinburgh (UK). Master-level programme to support academic staff to effectively engage with their teaching responsibilities, enabling my current Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy. 8/12/2020
- PhD in Energy, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona (Italy), 2009
- MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Università Politecnica delle Marche, Ancona (Italy), 2004
- 01/03/2023-2025 Royal Academy of Engineering Industrial Fellow in Energy Efficient Data Centres.
- Member of Scottish Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre and UK Carbon Capture Research Centre
- Fellow of the Higher Education Academy. The Higher Education Academy (https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/) is the UK leading institution for accreditation of teaching in higher education
Member of the Senatus Academicus (Senate) of The University of Edinburgh
Editorial board member of:
- Carbon Neutrality (Springer Nature) since 2021. The journal is an initiative of the China-UK Low Carbon College at Shanghai Jiao Tong University.
- Energy & Environment (SAGE) since 2018.
The Innovation Energy (Innovation Press) since 2025.
Guest-Editor of Special Issues:
- 2023/24 of Carbon Neutrality (Springer Nature) jointly with Dr. Shuanshi Fan, Dr Jia Li, Dr. Zhenyuan Yin, Dr. Tao Ren, Dr. Lei Hou on Decarbonization and CCUS
2020/21 of Energy (Elsevier) jointly with Prof. Ruzhu Wang (Deputy Editor-in-Chief of Energy) of the Special Issue on Solutions for Ultra-Low Temperature Heat Recovery and Utilization
Associate Editor of:
Frontiers in Thermal Engineering - Advancements in Cooling and Heating (Frontiers) since 2021
- Chair of the 10th Heat Powered Cycle Conference in 2023 (148 delegates from 20 countries)
- Member of the International Scientific Board of Heat Powered Cycle Conference series since 2017
- Member of the organizing committee of:
- Thermodynamics 2017
- The 33rd European Symposium of Applied Thermodynamics (ESAT) 2024
- Member of the International Scientific Board of International Symposium on Innovative Materials for Processes in Energy Systems (IMPRES) in 2016
- Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics 2 CHEE08019 (current)
- Engineering Thermodynamics 2 SCEE08006 (past)
- Chemical Engineering 1 Laboratory CHEE08001 (past)
- Engineering Mathematics 2 SCEE08010 (past)
- Chemical Engineering Design: Synthesis and Economics 4 CHEE10005 (past)
- Chemical Engineering Design 4 CHEE10010 (past)
- Chemical Engineering Study Project 4 CHEE10009 (current)
- Chemical Engineering Design Project 4 CHEE10002 (current)
- Chemical Engineering Research Project 5 CHEE11017 (current)
- Chemical Engineering Industrial Project 5 CHEE11014 (current)
- Ultralow grade heat
- Heat-powered adsorption water purification technologies
- Heat-powered adsorption cooling
- Data Centre Cooling
- Cooling/Water nexus in Data Centres
- Heat-powered adsorption direct air capture
Low grade heat, thermal energy storage, adsorption heating and cooling, adsorption desalination, solar thermal energy, temperature swing adsorption, heat transformers, thermodynamics, heat transfer, ionic liquids, ionogels.
I am Professor of Fluid and Suspension Dynamics. My research focuses on the modelling and simulation of complex fluids on microfluidic scales, for example suspensions of deformable particles or red blood cells. I am teaching Chemical Engineering in the second year. I am the Co-Chair of the University's Research Cultures Forum.
- PhD in Physics, Bochum University, Germany, 2011
- Diploma in Physics, Heidelberg University, Germany, 2007
- Institute of Physics
- Institute of Physics and Engineering in Medicine
- German Physical Society
- Modelling and simulation of complex fluids
- Microfluidics, suspensions and emulsions
- Blood flow in complex geometries and blood cell separation
- Inertial microfluidics
- Lattice-Boltzmann method
- Immersed-boundary method