I am a Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) research fellow (2021-2026). The primary focus of my current research is on the Uncertainty QUAntification in the design and analysis of Future composite Aerostructures (UQUAFA).

My research aims to develop lighter, more damage tolerant, yet safer, composite aerostructures. Robust computational models will predict the mechanical response of fibre-reinforced composites under damage-inducing loads, accounting for material and manufacturing uncertainties, combined with a physically based damage model that spans across micro-macro scales.

Within the context of my Fellowship, I'm fortunate to be mentored by: Professor Brian Falzon (QUB) and Professor Philip J. Withers (University of Manchester). 

My research interests rely essentially on the mechanics of fibre-reinforced composites. The following topics grasp my attention:

• Uncertainty Quantification towards less conservative knockdown factors in composite aerostructures
• Stochastic modelling
• Multiscale modelling
• Imperfection sensitivity of variable-angle composite shells
• Modern and robust optimisation methods
• Advanced manufacturing

I am passionate about science. I try my best to give a solid contribution to my exciting research field: mechanics of composite materials.

In the last 10 years, I have worked in several aspects of composite materials:

• Natural fibres
• Damage mechanics and modelling of composite structures
• Damage and failure modelling for filament wound structures
• Mechanical performance of composites under harsh environments
• Buckling of constant-angle and variable-angle (variable-stiffness) composite shells
• Optimisation of variable-stiffness (variable-axial or variable-angle tow) laminates
• Advanced manufacturing using: filament winding and tailored fibre placement
• Long-term properties on composites: modelling and experiments
• Optimisation and modelling of composite lattice structures

After intensively working on these exciting topics over the last years, I've moved on towards exploiting a new endeavour in my field after asking myself: where variability in fibre-reinforced composites come from? How do they arise? How do they propagate across scales? How do they affect the mechanical properties of the structure? The answer is uncertainties. Uncertainty quantification (UQ) is the master key.

These questions motivated me sufficiently to apply for a scheme that would allow me to have all the support to undertake underpinning research towards generating strong impact: the Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) Research Fellowship. I was fortunate enough to win this Fellowship and nowadays I drive my attention to understand and unveil UQ on composite structures.

Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship

Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions (MSCA) Individual Fellowship (not pursued due to overlap with RAEng)

Alexander von Humboldt Fellowship

Best PhD Paper in the Brazilian Polymer Congress