Infrastructure and Environment

Dr Tim J. Aspinall is a Fellow at the School of Engineering, University of Edinburgh. He works in the fields of fire safety, fire science and materials science, specialising in complex defence and security environments. He holds a BSc (2016), an MSc (2017) and a PhD (2021) from the University of Portsmouth, Heriot-Watt University and the University of Edinburgh, respectively. He received an Honorary Fellowship from the University of Edinburgh in 2022. Tim has held previous posts, including a Postdoctoral Research Fellowship and a funded PhD Studentship sponsored by the UK Ministry of Defence at the University of Edinburgh. Before this, Tim worked as a Consultant Engineer for BP plc.

PhD - Fire Science and Engineering, The University of Edinburgh

Melis joined the University of Edinburgh in April 2024. Her research mainly focuses on how geostructures can contribute to the sustainability of human activities and resilience to future climate change and energy-related challenges. Her research activities span across a range of topics including in-situ and laboratory testing of soils and soil-structure interfaces in isothermal and non-isothermal conditions, as well as development of numerical tools for the analysis and design of geostructures. During her PhD at Virginia Tech (USA) and her postdoc at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Lausanne (EPFL, Switzerland), she worked on Energy Geostructures Technology, which is an innovative way of using renewable energy resources by combining geothermal heat exchange and structural foundation support. Her PhD research received several awards by USUCGER, Geo-Institute and ADSC. For her postdoctoral contributions to EPFL, she was awarded “Recognition for Exceptional Services”. She recently received the Bright Sparkle Award 2023 from the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE).

• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University – Ph.D. in Geotechnical Engineering, August 2016, Virginia, USA
• Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University – M.Sc. in Geotechnical Engineering, January 2012, Virginia, USA
• Bogazici University – B.Sc. in Civil Engineering, May 2010, Istanbul, Turkey

• Member of the EPSRC Peer Review College
• Member of the UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) Talent Peer Review College
• Member of the Technical Committee on Energy Geotechnics (TC308) of International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering (ISSMGE)
• Member of the International Energy Agency Working Group 14 (Geothermal Heating and Cooling Energy)
• Member of the Cost Action CA21156 - european network for FOstering Large-scale ImplementAtion of energy GEostructure (FOLIAGE)
• Advisory Board Member of the Journal of Geomechanics for Energy and the Environment

Geotechnical Engineering 2

I am a Post Doctoral Research Assistant at the Institute for Infrastructure and Environment. I have an extensive background in hydrodynamic, river morphodynamics and interaction between river hydrology, sediments and riparian plants dynamics. My research investigates the physical processes controlled by the Navier-Stokes equations, including those controlling the interaction between water flow, sediment erosion, and riparian vegetation dynamics, and those dictating the wildfire rate of spread and firebrands dynamics. I am particularly interested in understanding how climate change can influence the spatial and temporal scales of these processes. Recently, I have been working on a project that aims to use satellite data to support the management of offshore wind farms. 

My work combines mathematical and numerical modelling, remote sensing analysis, and field and laboratory observations.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/simone-zen-7b781b83/

BSc in Environmental Engineering University of Trento (2004 - 2007)

Jens is a PhD student at the BRE Centre for Fire Safety Engineering, where he is researching the fire-related risk of photovoltaic installations in the built environment. 

Jens holds an MSc in Civil Engineering from the Technical University of Denmark (DTU), and he studied a semester at the University of Ghent (Belgium) as part of that degree. 

• 2011 -- MEng (with distinction) in Mining & Metallurgical Engineering (NTUA, Greece)
• 2013 -- MSc in Geomechanics (UJF, Grenoble 1, France)
• 2018 -- PhD, entitled: A study of temporal and spatial evolution of deformation and breakage of dry granular materials using x-ray computed tomography and the discrete element method (University of Edinburg, UK) -- Funded by the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) DTP PhD studentship and the International Fine Particles Research Institute (IFPRI) -- Advisers Prof. J. Y. Ooi, Dr. S.-A. Papanicolopulos, Prof. G. Viggiani, Dr. E. Andò
• Dr Karatza has been awarded a University of Edinburgh Teaching Award (2017) and a Predoc Scholarship from Université Joseph Fourier (2013)
• Dr Karatza has been awarded a Carnegie Research Incentive Grant (2018) and a Moray Endowment Fund (2017)

• Member of the Technical Chamber of Greece since 2012
• STEM Ambassador since 2016

• Current position: Course organiser of geotechnical engineering & Lecturing soil mechanics, foundation engineering and civil engineering design project & Teaching assistant of structural analysis and engineering mathematics
• 2015 -- 2016: Academic Contractor: Math and Engineering Teacher at Oxbridge Academic Programs
• 2013 -- 2016: Tutor & Demonstrator of geotechnical engineering and soil mechanics (UoE)

Zakary Campbell-Lochrie is a Lecturer in Fire Science. He teaches in the Mechanical Engineering discipline and conducts research as part of the Institute for Infrastructure and Environmental Engineering. His research focuses on the combustion and fire behaviour of bio-based materials with a particular interest in the fundamental physical processes controlling flame spread, particularly in the context of wildland fires.

This involves theoretical and experimental work across multiple scales in both laboratory and field environments and the development and deployment of multi-scale fire science instrumentation. 

• PhD - Engineering (Infrastructure & Environment), The University of Edinburgh 
• MEng - Mechanical Engineering, The University of Edinburgh

Associate Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy 

Principles of the Fire Laboratory 5/ Principles of the Fire Laboratory (MSc)

Mechanical Engineering 2

Electrical & Mechanical Engineering 2

Cohort Lead: 3rd Year Mechanical Engineering