Our Oxford group website is now live! Check mechmat.web.ox.ac.uk/… if you want to know more about who we are, what we do, what are our facilities, and to access our codes and papers. Important news and vacancies will always be posted there. Welcome! mechmat.web.ox.ac.uk/

📢 New paper! We answer a critical question in the transport of green hydrogen: can external defects such as dents and gouges compromise the structural integrity of H2 transmission pipelines? Just out in the Int J Hydrogen Energy: doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2…

📢New paper! We propose a bio-chemo-mechanical FE framework that enables 3D simulations of protein transport and atrophy in the brain, allowing us to go from MRI scans to produce personalised, early indicators of Alzheimer's disease: doi.org/10.1007/s00366-026-0…

Winding up a wonderful visit to the @UniofOxford -- one of the best and most beautiful universities in the world -- to give a seminar in the Department of Engineering Sciences! Prof. Emilio Martínez Pañeda, an extremely talented and highly accomplished early/mid career faculty member served as my host – starting with breakfast and tours at Harris Manchester College where Emilio is a fellow, followed by engaging discussions on his research in hydrogen embrittlement, fracture mechanics and corrosion science, and then to interesting conversations on the mechanics of traumatic brain injury with his faculty colleague Antoine Jerusalem over lunch at St Hugh's College. Next was my talk, titled ‘Mechanics and 3D Functional Mesostructures: From Organoids to Environmental Monitors.’ My presentation covered our most recent results in 3D bioelectronics as neural interfaces to human stem cell derived organoids and as passive microfliers for distributed environmental sensing – the latter featuring our latest concepts in ‘functional fireflies.’ I selected these topics for their relevance to biology and sustainability, two areas of particular interest to the communities here. Extended interactions with students, postdocs and fellows after my talk – great energy, great questions and creative ideas from an impressive collection of young researchers! The day concluded with a discussion on sports science with faculty member @jhnswkmr, and a dinner event back at @HMCOxford – quite an experience, and no phones or pictures allowed! Thanks again to Emilio for arranging a stimulating visit to a very unique and special place! (Of many other highlights -- grabbing a beer at the King’s Arms pub, the location where JRR Tolkien, CS Lewis and others frequently met as a group to engage in lively banter…)

📢New paper! We investigated the role of crack electrolyte wetting on the degradation and performance of battery active particles, showing that the usual assumption of a constant flux significantly underestimates stress levels and delivered capacity: doi.org/10.1016/j.jpowsour.2… 🔋🪫

Had a great time at the @SupergenORE Annual Assembly, where I presented our FlexFund project: 'Reliable corrosion fatigue predictions using physically-based models'. The talk, aimed at providing a gentle intro to phase-field modelling, is now in @YouTube: youtu.be/IaBuDGZrWfY?si=uAKh…

316L is the material of choice for LH2 storage, yet little is known of its behaviour at 20 K, the operational temperature. Our recent work quantifies what we termed "cryogenic hydrogen embrittlement" in austenitic steels, see: doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2…

Last week, I had the honour to receive the Medal of the Spanish Group of Fracture | Spanish Society of Structural Integrity. In the ceremony, I gave a talk on how fracture mechanics can be used to understand sea level rise and climate change - see it here: youtu.be/jDm7R0PN5Gc

We have an opening for an undergraduate summer research internship to work on physically-based modelling of environmental material degradation, funded by the @RoyceInstitute. All the info here: mechmat.web.ox.ac.uk/

Well done to Dr Rui Guo in securing one of these very prestigious and competitive fellowships to join our lab. Rui is currently based at @KU_Leuven

📢New paper! We present a welding-deformation-diffusion-fracture computational framework to predict the failure of welds in H2 transport pipelines. We assess if the existing, allowable weld defects can compromise pipe integrity when exposed to H2. See: authors.elsevier.com/a/1mOUi…

📢New paper! Work with @UKAEAofficial and @Imperial_CEE to understand the oxidation of tungsten and its impact on the lifecycle of a fusion power plant. Just out in Nuclear Materials and Energy. Work led by my PhD student Rongrui Liu, check it out! doi.org/10.1016/j.nme.2025.1…

📢New paper! We combine phase field with deformation-diffusion modeling to predict cracking and capacity fade of electrode core-shell structures. The interplay between damage and electrochemical battery performance is revealed. Just out in Applied Energy: sciencedirect.com/science/ar…

We're hiring a postdoc! We are looking for a computational mechanics/physics/maths/materials scientist to work on solid-state battery modelling using phase field methods, funded by @LeverhulmeTrust. See details here: eng.ox.ac.uk/jobs/job-detail… #job #postdoc #PhDChat #Oxford

🥳We're hiring! As part of the ERC grant ResistHfracture, we are looking for a PhD student in computational mechanics. Join our dynamic group at the University of Oxford. All details here: mechmat.web.ox.ac.uk/sites/d… #jobs #PhD #PhDchat

📢New paper! We present a protocol to directly characterise the fracture resistance of the hard, brittle weld regions that will govern the integrity of hydrogen transport pipelines. H2 fracture experiments show toughnesses as low as 32 MPa√m. Just out: doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2…

Four Oxford researchers have been selected from over 350 nominations to receive one of the 2025 Philip Leverhulme Prizes. Congratulations to: - Associate Prof Emilio Martínez-Pañeda - Associate Prof Meera Mehta - Associate Prof Ludvig Sinander - Prof Noa Zilberman

🔊 New paper! We use ML (Neural Networks) to interpret hydrogen TDS curves and extract, instantaneously, H trapping energies and densities. The Python code developed is openly released, extending TDS Simulator to Python and adding to it AI/ML capabilities: doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2…

📢New paper! A new phase field model for hydraulic fracture, including a Drucker-Prager driving force and a novel fracture-fluid flow hybrid coupling. Just out in CMAME: doi.org/10.1016/j.cma.2025.1… (the code, a simple Abaqus subroutine, is available at mechmat.web.ox.ac.uk/)

📢New paper! A collaboration with @UKAEAofficial and @BristolUni. We use our TDS setup to confirm the capabilities of a new pulsed DC plasma source to successfully implant deuterium. Just out in Fusion Engineering and Design: doi.org/10.1016/j.fusengdes.…

📢 New paper! We use a new cohesive-like approach to shed light into the mechanisms governing the exceptional adhesion properties of biological fibrillar structures such as those found in geckos. A work with @uniovi_info and Bob McMeeking (@UCSB): doi.org/10.1080/00218464.202…