This event is hybrid and in-person attendance is by invitation only. All talks will be streamed online and available to all.
The Research Forum is a highlight of the Academy’s research activities, showcasing the world-class engineering research funded through the Academy’s wide range of programmes.
Attendees will have an opportunity to listen to talks and view exhibits, demonstrations and posters from current awardees and alumni. From robots that can detect nuclear waste to electrochemical devices for a zero carbon economy our awardees are at pushing the boundaries of engineering and finding solutions to the biggest challenges the world faces today.
This year’s keynote speaker, Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FREng FRS, is the Academy’s first Senior Research Fellow.
For more information, please contact Marianne Jaskiewicz, Research Programmes at the Royal Academy of Engineering.
Programme*
|
Time |
Session |
|
1.15pm - 1.45pm |
Registration |
|
1.15pm |
Exhibition opens and Lunch |
|
1.50pm -2.10pm |
Levitation Demonstration |
|
2.30pm |
Welcome and introduction Professor Sir Jim McDonald FREng FRSE, President, Royal Academy of Engineering |
|
2.40pm |
Overview of the Academy’s research programmes Professor Alicia El Haj FREng, Deputy Chair of Research Committee |
|
2.45pm |
Keynote presentation The Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FREng FRS |
|
3.05pm |
Awardee presentations Sustainable next generation combustion systems for aero gas turbines Dr Cat Gardner, Rolls-Royce & Loughborough University Intelligent medical device innovation Professor Alejandro Frangi, University of Leeds Fully superconducting machine for zero emission aviation Professor Min Zhang, University of Strathclyde Materials engineering approaches to realise net zero energy solutions Professor Stephen Skinner, Imperial College London |
|
3.45pm |
Colin Campbell Mitchell award announcement Professor Bashir M. Al-Hashimi CBE FREng, Chair, Awards Committee |
|
3.55pm |
Closing remarks Professor Alicia El Haj FREng, Deputy Chair of Research Committee |
|
4.00pm |
Refreshment break |
|
4.00pm – 5.30pm |
Exhibition reopens |
|
4.30pm – 5.00pm |
Levitation demonstration |
4.30pm – 5.00pm |
Lightning talks 4.30pm – Dr Amy Gandhi, University of Sheffield 4.45pm – Dr Raziyeh Farmani, University of Exeter 5.00pm – Professor Tom Scott, University of Bristol |
|
5.30pm |
Event close |
* Programme may be subject to change.
Venue and accessibility
It is very important to the Royal Academy of Engineering that our events are accessible to all. If you have any accessibility requirements, please contact the Events team more than one week in advance of this event so that necessary arrangements can be made. Contact details: [email protected]
The Baroness Brown of Cambridge DBE FREng FRS FMedSci
Baroness Brown was the Academy’s (then known as the Fellowship of Engineering) first Senior Research Fellow, sponsored by British Gas. She subsequently spent eight years in senior engineering and executive roles at Rolls-Royce plc and two years as Chief Executive of the Institute of Physics, before returning to academia as principal of the engineering faculty at Imperial College London in 2004. She was Vice-Chancellor of Aston University from 2006 to 2016. She now sits as a crossbench Peer in the House of Lords and Chairs the Science and Technology Select Committee. Baroness Brown’s interests include climate change mitigation and the low carbon economy. She was deputy Chair of the Climate Change Committee from 2008 to 2021 and continues to chair its Adaptation Committee. She is a non-executive director of Ørsted and of Ceres Power and chairs the Carbon Trust and STEM Learning Ltd.
Professor Alex Frangi FREng
Professor Alex Frangi is Diamond Jubilee Chair in Computational Medicine held between School of Computing and School of Medicine at the University of Leeds. Alex leads CISTIB, where his international, interdisciplinary team performs cutting-edge research in biomedical imaging and modelling. Alex is Scientific Director of the Leeds Centre for HealthTech Innovation, Director of R&I for Leeds Institute for Data Analytics and holds a Chair in Emerging Technologies (2019 to 2029) from the Royal Academy of Engineering. In 2021, Alex was awarded the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society Technical Achievement Award for pioneering contributions in model and image-based computational modelling in medicine with clinical and innovation impact.
Dr Min Zhang
Dr Min Zhang leads the University of Strathclyde’s Applied Superconductivity Laboratory. Her research focuses on using advanced superconducting materials to achieve zero emissions in transportation and energy systems. Dr Zhang holds BEng and master’s degrees from Tsinghua University, China, and a PhD degree from the University of Cambridge. She became a Junior Research Fellow for Newnham College at Cambridge before moving to the University of Bath as a lecturer. Dr Zhang holds a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Fellowship in developing next-generation fully superconducting machines for electric aircraft. She is the vice editor-in-chief for IEEE Transactions on Applied Superconductivity and a board member of the International HTS Modelling Workgroup. Dr Zhang is also the Associate Dean International for the Faculty of Engineering, focusing on international strategy and activities.
Professor Stephen Skinner
Stephen Skinner is a professor at Imperial College London and works with Ceres Power Ltd. His research focuses on the development of new ion-conducting materials for electrochemical technologies including electrolysers, fuel cells and batteries. His work links the structure and chemistry of materials under operating conditions using a suite of advanced tools including diffraction, microscopy and spectroscopy combined with isotopic labelling.
Dr Cat Gardner
Dr Cat Gardner is a Combustion Aerothermal Technologist at Rolls-Royce Plc. With her partners at Loughborough University, Dr Cat Gardner is developing novel and ambitious concepts for future aero gas turbine combustors, while maintaining today's high standards of operability and reliability. This project supports the decarbonisation of air travel as part of the aviation industry’s commitment to reducing emissions and achieving net zero carbon by 2050