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Dr Laura Bentley is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Child Health Research Centre at The University of Queensland. Laura has a background in developmental psychology and her PhD explored the impact of music on early cognition and self-regulation skills. Laura is currently working on a MRFF funded project (AusCP MSK) which aims to identify the early biomarkers of musculoskeletal complications in children with moderate-severe cerebral palsy (GMCS III-V).

Violeta is a Multilingual Evidence Synthesis Postdoctoral Research Fellow. Her current research addresses the underutilisation of non-English biodiversity conservation evidence in policy and decision-making processes.

While evidence synthesis is a cornerstone of evidence-based conservation at both local and global scales, gaps remain in incorporating the diverse knowledge available in non-English scientific literature. To bridge this gap, she integrates multilingual international collaboration and artificial intelligence (AI), including machine learning and natural language processing techniques (e.g., text classification, thematic analysis). This integrated approach allows for the systematic aggregation of multilingual scientific evidence and the development of tools to automate the retrieval of non-English literature on biodiversity conservation. By leveraging human co-production and AI, she aims to create a multilingual synthesis tool that not only accelerates evidence synthesis but also ensures the inclusion of the diverse and valuable knowledge found in non-English evidence.

This work is part of the broader "Transcending Language Barriers to Environmental Sciences" project (https://translatesciences.com/). Please reach out if you are interested in collaborating v.berdejoespinola@uq.net.au

Violeta has a wide range of interests and also explores human-nature interactions in the urban Global South. Her interdisciplinary research intersects modelling nature’s contributions to people living in formal and informal settlements, biodiversity, climate change, perceptions of safety and poverty.

After receiving a PhD on immune regulation from La Sorbonne Universitas in France, Anne-Sophie joined Prof. Ian Frazer’s lab in Australia where she led a highly successful and independent research program on the mechanisms of immune tolerance in human papillomavirus (HPV)-associated lesions in mice. She then joined the field of autoimmune diseases with Prof. Ranjeny Thomas. In Type 1 Diabetes, her pre-clinical data showed the feasibility of an antigen-specific liposome targeted immunotherapy in pre-diabetic mice and led to the first-in-human clinical trial using liposome nanoparticles. In Spondyloarthropathy, her interest is focused on deciphering the link between the gut microbiome, the immune system and the development of arthritic inflammation.

Dr Michael Bermingham’s research is primarily concerned with advanced manufacturing of metal materials. This also involves metal alloy development including understanding how the manufacturing process influences the structure and behaviour of the material and how alloy design can be optimised for the process. He has research expertise in solidification processing (including casting, welding, soldering and additive manufacturing) as well as subtractive metal machining technologies.

Michael was awarded his PhD from the University of Queensland in 2010 with a Dean’s award for Outstanding Higher Degree Theses. From 2010-2015 he completed a post-doctoral appointment sponsored by the then Defence Materials Research Centre (now DMTC Ltd) working with Australian manufacturers in the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter supply chain. This work principally centred on developing advanced machining technologies for titanium fabrication. The impact of this work was assessed and awarded the highest rating of “A: Outstanding impacts in terms of reach and significance” in the 2012 ATN Go8 EIA National Report. During this time Michael also completed a post-doctoral appointment investigating new materials and design solutions for implantable medical devices in collaboration with a multinational medical device manufacturer.

Michael became a Lecturer in the School of Mechanical and Mining Engineering in 2016 and has been a Senior Lecturer since 2020. He teaches into undergraduate and postgraduate courses in materials, manufacturing and design and has won a number of teaching awards including a 2020 Australian Award for University Teaching (AAUT) Citation for Outstanding Contribution to Student Learning. In 2023 he became an ARC Future Fellow seeking to improve the quality of 3D printed metals.

Michael has been successful in obtaining competitive grant funding including over $9.2m in ARC projects (1x ARC Future Fellowship, 1x ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, 2 x ARC Discovery Projects, 1 x ARC Linkage Project, 1 x ARC Research Hub) as well as $0.5m in funding across multiple internal schemes and direct industry sponsored/contract research projects.

Aude is a demographer/population geographer at the Queensland Centre for Population Research at the University of Queensland. Her research focuses on understanding internal migration processes and their consequences for individuals, regions and nations. Her contributions to formal demography include the development of measurement and estimation techniques that facilitate large-scale international comparisons of migration levels, patterns and selectivity. Building on the life-course perspective, her theoretical contributions include the concept of migration capital and the intergenerational transmission of migration.

She leads a group of PhD students and post-doctoral fellows who work on internal migration in partnership with international organisations, federal and state government departments on a range of the methodological and applied issues. Aude's current projects include:

- The internal migration and regional retention of immigrants

- Forecasting internal migration

- The long-term consequences of childhood migration

- The impact of climate change on internal migration

She is currently Chief Investigator on two Australian Research Council’s Discovery Projects and a Linkage Project in partnership with the University of Melbourne, the University of New England, Shanghai University, the Australian Bureau of Statistics and Treasury’s Centre for Population.

She co-edits of the Journal of Population Research, co-chairs the IUSSP Scientific Panel on Lifetime Migration and sits on the Commonwealth's Treasury experts panel on population.

My research focuses on the engagement of stakeholders and the development of interventions to improve the health outcomes of cancer patients, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, and patients with chronic pain. These projects involved co-designing and delivering training programs for healthcare providers and consumers and assessing the clinical and public health outcomes.

Professor Debra Bernhardt is internationally recognised for her contributions to the development of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics and thermodynamics including far-from-equilibrium fluids and confined fluids. She is a Fellow of Australian Academy of Science and the Royal Australian Chemical Institute and an ARC Australian Laureate Fellow. Professor Bernhardt has held appointments at the University of Basel, Switzerland; the Australian National University; and Griffith University, where she was founding director of the Queensland Micro- and Nanotechnology Centre. Professor Bernhardt's research interests focus on the use of a range of theoretical and computational approaches to develop a fundamental understanding of the behaviour of matter, and application of these approaches to a wide range of problems including transport in nanopores, fluctuation phenomena, design of materials, gas separation, energy storage and conversion.

After completing my undergraduate and postgraduate studies at the University of Newcastle, I held a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the University of Basel (Switzerland) from 1990-2. I returned to Australia in 1993 to take up an Australian Research Council Postdoctoral Fellowship at the Australian National University (Canberra) from 1993-4. I joined The University of Queensland in 1994.

Dr François-René Bertin (DVM, MS, PhD, dipl.ACVIM (LAIM)) is an equine internist with expertise in clinical endocrinology.

François-René completed a Doctorate of Veterinary Medicine (University of Nantes, France), an American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine (ACVIM) residency in equine internal medicine (Purdue University, USA) and a PhD in physiology (McGill University, Canada). He moved to the School of Veterinary Science at UQ in 2016.

François-René’s research interests lie in the pathophysiology of hyperinsulinaemia-associated laminitis and the disorders of the equine hypothalamo-pituitary adrenocortical axis. Some of his current projects examine the regulators of pancreatic b-cell activity and the mechanisms of pituitary gland senescence. François-René has received awards from the School of Veterinary Science and the Faculty of Science for his contribution to Research and HDR student supervision.

François-René teaches equine internal medicine into the veterinary science and veterinary technology programs and coordinates the Equine Clinical Studies course. He has received Teaching and Learning Faculty Awards.

Dr. Karl Bertling has made significant contributions to pioneering imaging and sensing via laser feedback interferometry, spanning diverse laser technologies including sensors based on visible lasers, infrared surface-emitting lasers, mid-infrared inter-band cascade lasers, and terahertz quantum cascade lasers. His current research focus includes leveraging terahertz quantum cascade laser feedback interferometry for early melanoma detection and agri-photonics, as well as near-field terahertz and mid-infrared imaging of nanomaterials and nanostructures.

Visionary science leader and entrepreneur with 35 years of experience in the fields of soil science, environmental geochemistry, hydrobiogeochemistry, and eco- and genotoxicology. I have championed inter- and transdisciplinary research approaches integrating land, water, ecosystems, cities and infrastructure, social and economic sciences, environmental contamination and toxicology, earth observation, sustainability, and climate adaptation to address the grand challenges facing Australia and the global community.

I have been a leader and promoter of synthetic and advanced engineering biology in CSIRO and Australia more broadly and passionate about how advanced biomanufacturing can transform a carbon intense, linear economy to one that is carbon neutral/negative and circular. For much of my career, my research has focused on the fate, transport, bioavailability and toxicity of metal, metalloid, radionuclide, and organic contaminants, the biogeochemistry of natural organic matter, iron, and aluminium in aquatic and terrestrial environments, and the chemical speciation and ecotoxicology of metals, metalloids, radionuclides, and manufactured nanomaterials and other emerging contaminants in terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.

I have been involved in research, development, and demonstration of novel soil and groundwater remediation technologies at some of the most challenging contaminated environments in the world. I also have significant international science administration, leadership, and policy experience and have served as a trusted advisor to governments, industries, and community groups on such topics as nuclear waste management, emerging contaminants (e.g., manufactured nanomaterials, PFAS, nanoplastics, pharmaceuticals), environmental remediation, climate change, sustainability, water and natural resource management, as well as for commercialisation opportunities of emerging technologies.

Current areas of focus are on development of biometallurgical processes for sustainable mining of stragic elements and the enhancement of precision fermentation processes to drive economically feasible bioproduction of proteins, chemicals, pharmeceuticals, and materials at scale.

Dr. Manuela Besomi is a Research Fellow within the Centre for Innovation in Pain and Health Research (CIPHeR) in the School of Health and Rehabilitation Sciences at The University of Queensland. She also holds an honorary position in the Physiotherapy Department at Universidad del Desarrollo (Chile), where she leads a clinical team focused on running injury management and prevention research. Manuela obtained her master's degree in Clinical Epidemiology from Universidad de La Frontera, Chile, in 2016, followed by a Ph.D. in Rehabilitation Sciences at The University of Queensland in 2021. As a passionate physiotherapist and early career researcher, she brings expertise in epidemiology, musculoskeletal rehabilitation, and sports science, particularly in the context of running. Her research spans fundamental and applied areas, from leveraging innovative technologies to investigate tissue mechanics to enhancing care management through implementation research.

Manuela is currently the Project Coordinator of an NIH-funded research project, the largest human project at UQ across 8 universities and 5 hospitals in 3 countries, examining the bio-psycho-social mechanisms underlying low back pain flares. She is also the Research Coordinator for the Consensus for Experimental Design in Electromyography (CEDE) project, supported and endorsed by the International Society of Electrophysiology and Kinesiology (ISEK). In recognition of her contributions, she was honoured with the prestigious 2022 Carlo J. DeLuca Award.

Beyond her research endeavours, Manuela is dedicated to translating knowledge into practice and actively engages with the community. She is a speaker and collaborator at The Running Clinic and a co-founder of the SeRUN® project (@serun.chile), both initiatives aimed at bridging the gap between research and clinical practice. She is passionate about promoting STEM for young girls—having collaborated in the evaluation of a nationwide program to boost girls' engagement in STEM, BRInC. Currently, she is part of the research team and mentor for the 2024 BRInC version. More information about BRInC can be found at https://www.canberra.edu.au/about-uc/faculties/health/brinc.

Dr. Besomi remains committed to advancing knowledge and making a positive impact in the fields of physiotherapy, rehabilitation and sports science.

Dr Christine Beuermann is a senior lecturer at Newcastle Law School. She researches in private law, particularly tort theory. Her research has been cited by the highest courts in both Australia and England and Wales. In 2019, she published Reconceptualising Strict Liability for the Tort of Another with Hart. She is currently working on a book on tort theory and will be a co-author on the new edition of The Law of Torts in Australia by OUP with Professors Kit Barker (UK) and Mark Lunney (UNE). Christine was a Herbert Smith Freehills Visitor to the Faculty of Law in the University of Cambridge in 2018.

Professor Christine Beveridge's research focuses on understanding the role of plant hormones in the regulation and coordination of plant development, particularly shoot architecture. Major highlights have involved discovery of strigolactone as a plant hormone and that sugar signalling is a driver of shoot branching. Christine’s research has recently expanded toward identifying how different genetic and physiological networks work together to control plant productivity. In the role of Director, Christine has established funding for the ARC Centre of Excellence for Plant Success in Nature and Agriculture (Plant Success - Plant Success) to achieve this aim.

Christine is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, an ARC Georgina Sweet Laureate Fellow, a Highly Cited Researcher (Researcher Recognition - Web of Science Group (clarivate.com)), and past President of the International Plant Growth Substances Association. Christine is a life member of the Australian Society of Plant Scientists (asps.org.au).

Please contact Christine directly for information on projects. We like to build projects around the student and their experience, opportunity and career aspirations. Projects are occassionally advertised at www.plantsuccess.org or by twitter #cabeveridge29.

Prof. Bhandari is associated with the University of Queensland since 1993. He obtained his PhD from ENSIA (France) in Food Process Engineering in 1992. Professor Bhandari is Academy Fellow of The International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST), Academy Fellow of Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences (QAAS), Fellow of Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST) and Honorary Fellow of Nepal Food Scientists and Technologists Association (NEFOSTA).

Prof Bhandari has a major research focus on food materials science and engineering, including microencapsulation of food ingredients, glass transition-related issues in food processing and product systems and 3D printing of food materials. Professor Bhandari’s current research area also includes relating the nanostructure of the food system to its bulk properties. Presently, he is also exploring the application of nanobubbles in food processing. His past and current researches involve dairy, meat, rice, honey, probiotics, oils, fat, etc. Professor Bhandari’s research is not commodity-focused only. His primary approach to research is applying fundamental science and engineering principles to developing a relationship between process, structure, property and performance of food materials systems. Professor Bhandari has extensively investigated various micro- and nano-encapsulation processes such as spray drying, molecular encapsulation, co-crystallisation, precipitation and gel entrapment. Prof. Bhandari has developed a patented continuous method to produce microgel particles that can be used to encapsulate various functional ingredients and pharmaceutical drugs. The process has been commercialised to encapsulate probiotics. The probiotic enriched drinks (named Perkii) are available in the Australian market (https://www.perkii.com/). Bhandari has also developed a process to encapsulate lactoferrin, which has been commercialised (https://begabio.com/product-finder/inferrintm/). Prof Bhandari has done a number of pioneering works on stickiness issues of food powders encountered during drying and handling. Recently, Professor Bhandari has developed a patented technique to produce ethylene powder, which can be used for fruit ripening and other plant physiological control. Professor Bhandari has also developed a stickiness testing device that enables the measurement of the stickiness and glass transition temperature of food material by just using texture measuring instruments.

International collaborations:

Professor Bhandari has developed strong national and international research collaborations. Professor Bhandari successfully completed a collaborative research project with Nong Lam University, in Vietnam on control of rice cracking in Mekong Delta. Professor Bhandari also completed a joint research project with the National University of Singapore on glass transition mechanisms in starch. In addition, Professor Bhandari has also been collaborating his research activities in USA, Ireland, Vietnam, India, China and France. Prof Bhandari was awarded the Australia-India Council Research grant by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia) to develop research collaboration with National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, India. Professor Bhandari was also a Visiting Professor of UCSI University, Malaysia and UPM, Malaysia.

Professor Bhesh Bhandari is originally from Nepal. He has maintained strong ties to his home country throughout his career. Notably, he is an Honorary Fellow of the Nepal Food Scientists and Technologists Association (NEFOSTA) and has been actively involved in initiatives to support young scientists in Nepal. In 2019, he established the NEFOSTA Young Scientist Award to motivate researchers in the field of food science and technology within Nepal (https://nefosta.org.np/articles/2/).

Grants:

Professor Bhandari has been awarded several ARC-Discovery, ARC-Linkage over the years and ARC-Industrial Transformation Research Hub grant recently. He also won grants from Horticulture Australia, Rural Industries Research and Development Corporation, Dairy Australia, Cooperation for Agriculture and Research Development (CARD funded by AusAID) Program, National Meat Industry Training Advisory Council Limited (MINTRAC), Meat and Livestock Australia (MLA), Commercialisation Australia and UNIQUEST. He has received more than $10M grant over the years.

Awards:

2024, 2023 2022, 2021, 2020 Lead Researcher in Australia in Engineering category- Food Science and Technology discipline (listed by The Australian)

2024, 2023, 2022, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2015 Highly Cited Researcher (top 1% globally) in the field of Agricultural Science by Web of Science

2023 Lifetime Achievement Award, International Association for Engineering and Food (IAEF)

2023 Minxin Award for Outstanding Contribution in Industrial Application and International Collaboration, International Conference on Food Processing and Preservation, Luoyang, China

2022 Envoy of People’s Friendship of Wuxi, Wuxi Municipal People’s Association, China

2021 Jiangsu Province Award for International Cooperation in Food Science and Technology with Jiangnan University

2019 Distinguished Alumnus Award, Anand Agricultural University, India

2017 Outstanding Drying Research Award (Asia Pacific Drying Conference, 2017)

2015 Ho Chi Minh City Award for contributing to the promotion of friendship, collaborative relations with Nong Lam University, Vietnam

2015 Bruce Chandler Book Prize for 2015, for “Food Materials Science and Engineering”. Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST)

2013 Vice Chancellor’s Commendation Award for internationalisation, The University of Queensland

2012 Excellence in Drying Award (AFSIA award for transfer fundamentals into practice) (International Drying Symposium 2012)

2011 Q-index Award- Top 25. The University of Queensland

2005-2010 Excellence in Research – School of Land, Crop, and Food Sciences, The University of Queensland

Academy Fellow – The International Academy of Food Science and Technology (IAFoST)

Academy Fellow- Queensland Academy of Arts and Sciences (QAAS)

Fellow – Australian Institute of Food Science and Technology (AIFST)

Honorary Fellow – Nepal Food Scientists and Technologists Association (NEFOSTA)

Publications:

Prof Bhandari has authored more than 500 papers including 9 co-edited books and 40 book chapters. His co-edited book “Food Materials Science and Engineering” was published in 2012 and another co-edited book on “Handbook of Food Powders: Processes and Properties” was published in 2013. Another co-edited book "Non-Equilibrium States and Glass Transitions in Foods: Processing Effects and Product-Specific Implications" was published in Nov 2016. The new co-edited book "Handbook of Drying of Vegetables and Vegetable Products" has been published in 2017. In 2018 "Fundamentals of 3D Food Printing and Application" was published.

His publications are cited more than 50,000 times (Google Scholar H-index 114).

Editorial responsibility:

Prof. Bhandari is an Editor-in-Chief of Future Foods and Editor of Journal of Food Engineering, reputed international journals in the food science and engineering field. Professor Bhandari has also been in the editorial board of the International Journal of Food Engineering, International Journal of Food Properties, Food Biophysics, Nature-Scientific Reports, Food Science and Human Wellness, Drying Technology and Sustainable Food Technology.

He is presently working as a faculty in the School of Dentistry at the University of Queensland.

He has teaching experience of close to 14 years in the field of Endodontics and was Programme Director for the Post Graduate Diploma in Endodontics at International Medical University, Malaysia from the years (2019-2023). He has worked in the same university from (2014 to 2023) as a lecturer, Senior Lecturer-I, and Senior Lecturer-II. Before that, he was the course coordinator for the Department of Conservative Dentistry and Endodontics at MAHSA University, Malaysia.

He has been actively involved in providing clinical expertise in Endodontics both primary and re-treatment cases under Dental Microscope since 2010. He was appointed to the rank of Captain in the Indian Army and was awarded the Best Academic Lecturer Award in 2014,2015,2019 in Faculty Appreciation Week at International Medical University from the School of Dentistry and has also received the University Teaching Excellence Award (TEA) and the John Simpson trophy in 2016. He was a finalist for the best teacher award from the School of Dentistry in 2016, 2017, and 2018 and a finalist for the TEA award in 2019.

He is a well-known speaker and has conducted many lectures and workshops and trained many practitioners in the field of Endodontics. He has conducted workshops that prepare candidates for the MFDS Part 2 Examination, a Membership examination from the Royal College of Surgeons, Edinburgh from the year (2015-2023). He is a holder of the Diploma of Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery MFDS RCS (Edinburgh) and the Diploma of Membership of the Faculty of Dental Surgery MFDS RCPS (Glasgow. In addition, he has multiple publications in peer-reviewed journals.

He has a special interest in Dental microscopes, Rotary Endodontics, Disinfection in Endodontics, Single visit Endodontics, and different kinds of aesthetic restorations.

Biography:

Suresh Bhatia received a B.Tech. degree in Chemical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kanpur, and Master’s as well as PhD degrees from the University of Pennsylvania. He worked for a few years in industry in the USA, and for two years at the University of Florida, before joining the Indian Institute of Technology, Mumbai, in 1984, and subsequently The University of Queensland in 1996. His main research interests are in adsorption and transport in nanoporous materials and in heterogeneous reaction engineering, where he has authored over two hundred and eighty scientific papers in leading international journals. He has received numerous awards for his research, including the Shanti Swarup Bhatnagar Prize for Engineering Sciences from the Government of India, and the ExxonMobil Award for excellence from the Institution of Chemical EngineersHe has held an Australian Professorial Fellowship from the Australian Research Council, and is a Fellow of two major academies – the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering, and the Indian Academy of Sciences. He served as the Regional Editor of the international journal Molecular Simulation between 2009 and 2015. He has held visiting positions at leading universities, and between 2007 and 2009 he was the Head of the Division of Chemical Engineering at UQ.

Research:

Bhatia’s main research interests are in the modelling and simulation of adsorption and transport in nanoporous materials, and in heterogeneous reaction engineering, in which he pursues both applied and fundamental research on a variety of topics. One of the current subjects is the development of models for the reaction kinetics and transport processes in the green electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide, as part of the research activities of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence. This is a novel route to reducing carbon dioxide emissions by converting it to useful chemicals and fuels, that is rapidly gaining increasing interest. In this technique, a porous electrode of complex structure is coated with nanoparticles of an electrocatalyst, on the surface of which carbon dioxide is reduced. Carbon dioxide (either pure gas or as part of flue gas) is fed into the electrolyser and must diffuse through the electrode’s structure to react with hydrogen ions in a liquid-phase electrolyte at the surface of the electrocatalyst. An added complexity is the intrusion of the electrolyte into the electrode, leading to its flooding and to a reduction in gas-phase transport rates. Bhatia’s research aims to gain an understanding of the complex interplay between gas-phase and electrolyte transport, and interfacial reaction kinetics, combining nanoscale models of transport and electrocatalytic kinetics with macroscopic electrode level models, and develop a comprehensive approach useful for process design and scale-up.

A second stream of activity relates to the modelling of mixed matrix membranes, particularly for carbon dioxide separation from flue gas and other industrial gas streams. These are a new class of membranes comprising a nanoporous adsorbent filler such as a zeolite or metal-organic/zeolitic imidazole framework material dispersed in a polymer matrix. Such composite membranes combine the high flux capabilities of the adsorbent with the selective properties of the polymer to overcome the established Robeson upper bound for polymers. Bhatia has developed novel effective medium theory-based models for transport in finite-sized composites, which overcome limitations of existing theories that are applicable only to large systems and therefore overlook particle and system size effects. At a more molecular level, Bhatia is investigating the nanoscale interfacial structure of the polymer in the vicinity of the solid, and its influence on the interfacial transport resistance using molecular dynamics simulation methods. When the polymer-filler interaction is strong, there is local densification of the polymer, which hinders gas transport, and when this interaction is weak interfacial nano-voids are formed which reduces selectivity. Both of these distinct effects deteriorate membrane performance, and a current focus of our research is the functionalisation of the polymer to improve polymer-filler compatibility and reduce interfacial defects. The synthesis of nanoscale and macroscopic approaches holds promise for the development of a virtual tool for the De Novo design of mixed matrix membrane specific to a given separation application; and is a key goal of this research.

Another thrust of his research relates to the transport of fluids in nanopores and nanoporous materials, where he is developing practical models of transport in nanoporous materials in conjunction with simulation and experiment. Among the achievements is a new theory of transport in nanoscale pores, which leads to an exact new result at low densities superseding the century-old Knudsen model. A current focus of the research is the interfacial resistance to transport in nanpororous materials, using molecular dynamics simulations and theoretical techniques. His results have shown that interfacial resistance dominates at nanoscales and can be very significant even at microscales. The results will have importance for a range of nanotechnologies involving the infiltration of fluids in nanoporous materials, including catalysis, gas storage, adsorption, and membrane-based separations, as well as nanofluidics.

In another stream of activity, he has developed atomistic models of disordered carbons using hybrid reverse Monte Carlo simulation methods, in conjunction with neutron scattering experiments. These atomistic models have been used to investigate the adsorption and transport of adsorbed fluids in the carbon nanostructure for a variety of applications. Among the carbons examined are carbide-derived carbon-based adsorbents for carbon dioxide capture from moist flue gases and CH4/CO2 separations. The co-adsorption of water has been shown by him to have a critical influence on both equilibrium and transport properties in these applications, and strategies for mitigating this influence are being investigated by means of simulation.

An area of recent activity is the study of carbon supercapacitors, where he is developing advanced simulation-based models for the equilibrium and flow of ions in porous carbon electrodes. These models will enable the optimisation of carbon structure for maximising capacitance and enhancing charging/discharging rates.

Teaching and Learning:

Bhatia has teaching interests in chemical reaction engineering, and applied mathematics, both at the undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Projects:

1. Simulation of the kinetics of electrocatalytic reduction of carbon dioxide. The electrocatalytic transformation of carbon dioxide to useful chemicals and fuels is a subject of much current interest to the goal of a net zero carbon economy. This project aims to develop a model of the kinetics of the electrocatalytic reaction and use it to optimise the structure and loading of the electrocatalyst layer on the surface of the electrode. A combination of Quantum calculations and kinetic Monte Carlo simulations will be performed to determine the reaction kinetics for the carbon dioxide reduction to specific products such as ethylene and urea. Machine learning will be used to correlate intrinsic reaction kinetics with ionic concentrations in the electrolyte. Subsequently, reaction-diffusion modelling in the electrolyte will be performed to determine the optimal properties of the catalyst layer for maximising production rates. Validation of the models will be conducted using experimental data from other groups in the ARC Centre of Excellence for Green Carbon Dioxide Transformation.
2. Multiphase transport in packings of nanospheres. Numerous materials comprise packings of nano-sized particles. Examples are catalytically active layers of metals deposited on surfaces, layers of carbon nanoparticles in electrodes, and extrudates of catalyst and adsorbent particles comprised of aggregated nanoparticles. Current models of transport through such materials often simplify the structure by appealing to an idealised cylindrical pore model, which is often inaccurate and requires the use of empirical fitting parameters. In addition, such models frequently overlook fluid-solid interactions that become important at nanoscales. This project will investigate simultaneous gas and liquid electrolyte transport in packings of nanospheres, while considering fluid-solid interaction and phase equilibrium between gas and liquid, using molecular dynamics simulations, to determine multiphase transport properties as a function of interaction parameters, packing structure, packing density and particle size, and the results corelated using machine learning models. The models developed will be useful in the design of catalyst and adsorbent particles, and of electrodes in electrochemical processes.
3. Modelling transport in diffusion electrodes. Numerous electrochemical systems, such as fuel cells and electrocatalytic reactors use electrodes of complex structure, comprising a fibrous gas diffusion layer, a conductive carbon particle layer and a catalytic layer. The electrode separates gas and liquid electrolyte, both of which infiltrate the electrode from opposite sides. A reliable model of the electrode behaviour is essential for process design. This project will model the interplay between gas and electrolyte transport and their phase equilibrium in the electrode, as well as the reaction-diffusion process in the catalytic layer facilitated by the charge transport in the electrode. Joule heating of the electrode will also be considered. The particular process targeted is the electrocatalytic conversion of carbon dioxide. The outcome will be a comprehensive model of reaction and transport in the electrode that can be used in process design and scale-up of the electrochemical cell for electrocatalytic carbon dioxide reduction.
4. Synthesis and modelling of mixed matrix membranes. Mixed matrix membranes comprising a zeolite, metal-organic framework material, or other suitable adsorbent dispersed within a polymer matrix are attracting considerable attention because they combine the good mechanical properties of the polymer matrix with separation properties of the adsorbent. Here, we will perform molecular dynamics simulations of the separation of CO2 from flue gas using mixed matrix membranes and investigate their transport properties in this application. Suitable functionalisation of the polymer will be performed in silico to alleviate interfacial defects. Machine learning will be used to correlate transport properties with fundamental molecular level polymer and filler properties. Mathematical models of permeation through the membrane will be developed and validated against experimental data.
5. Dynamics of mixture adsorption in nanoporous materials. This project focuses on understanding the diffusion of gases in nanoporous materials, which is challenging both from a fundamental and applications viewpoint. Existing models frequently overlook fluid-solid interactions and require fitting parameters. In this connection, we have already performed molecular dynamics studies with single component systems and developed a novel new theory of diffusion and transport of adsorbates in nanoporous materials. The new studies now proposed focus on gas mixtures, and the theory developed will be extended to multicomponent systems in conjunction with molecular dynamics simulation. A system of particular interest is the separation of carbon dioxide from flue gas using nanomaterials and membranes.

Dr. Arnab Bhattacharjee is an early-career AI and applied optimization researcher specializing in energy systems, power engineering, and machine learning. He earned his Ph.D. with distinction in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science from the University of Queensland and the Indian Institute of Technology Delhi Academy of Research, where he advanced AI-driven modeling for energy systems and cybersecurity. Previously, he completed his B.Tech. (Honors) in Electrical & Electronics Engineering with a minor in Computer Applications at NIT Trichy, graduating as valedictorian. His research experience spans leading institutions, including IIT Delhi, UQ, and Max Planck Institute for Intelligent Systems, where he has contributed to optimization, deep learning, and reinforcement learning applications for sustainable energy and intelligent systems. His expertise includes developing empirical mutual information estimation tools, battery degradation modeling, and cyber-physical security solutions for smart grids. Dr. Bhattacharjee has also collaborated with TATA Power, Alt Mobility, and government agencies to enhance energy forecasting, EV infrastructure planning, and AI-driven optimization techniques.