IAT Team

Chris is a Professor of Solid Mechanics and Director of the Institute for Aerospace Technology. His research interests include fusion and non-fusion welding processes and the development of experimental facilities and models to provide deep insight into the material behaviour and evolution during these processes.  Linked to this is experience and expertise in novel characterisation methods for a range of material systems in extreme environments.

He also has a broad interest in the application of numerical modelling (particularly finite element modelling) to engineering problems which include contact, wear and fatigue of aeroengine components.  He has a long history of working closely with industry and has been PI on several collaborative research projects and direct industry funded projects.  He is currently PI on the Clean Aviation project HEAVEN and ATI project MUSIC.

Tanja is the Programme Manager for the IAT. Working closely with the IAT directors, Tanja develops, manages and leads the programme of IAT activities and provides strategic leadership and management of the highly skilled IAT core team.

Tanja’s background is in UK and EU public policy and government relations and she has represented the interests of local authorities, universities and membership bodies at the UK and EU levels, including seven years based in Brussels.

Helen provides project management expertise for the university's EU Clean Aviation project 'HECATE'. She recently managed the IAT's Marie Skłodowska-Curie ‘INNOVATIVE’ doctoral programme and provided grant management for the ERDF project 'Aerospace Unlocking Potential'.

She has worked across industry and academia, achieving a PhD in Additive Manufacturing at Loughborough University in 2010.

She spent a number of years working at Loughborough University and the University of Nottingham as a post-doctoral research fellow managing research and exploitation projects.

David is responsible for engaging and liaising with external partners, understanding their business, developing partnerships and establishing collaborative projects. He connects our academic experts with industry to support knowledge exchange, whilst managing the funding and contractual arrangements.

David has over twenty years of experience in aerospace engineering in both military and civil aviation. He has worked for several Universities over many years, supporting collaborative research, training and consultancy projects and is always happy to discuss opportunities and challenges that you might have.

Sarah is a Project Manager working on an EU-funded Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation project - ORCHESTRA. The aim of this project is to enable Much More Electric Aircraft Electrical Power Systems (M2EAEPS) by developing highly innovative breakthrough Technological Building Blocks (TBBs).

Most recently she project managed a number of Horizon 2020 EU-funded Innovative Training Network projects. Sarah is a Chartered Accountant with previous experience of working in Finance, Audit and Risk Management within the University and in industry.

Sarah was the Project Manager for the Aerospace Unlocking Potential project, helping to deliver support to Aerospace supply chain SMEs across the Midlands. She worked with the project team to ensure progress is monitored, requirements are delivered and ensure compliance with funding rules.

Sarah has been managing European Funded projects for the last 12 years across both the public sector and within Higher Eduction, with a focus on compliance and project delivery. She has overseen and worked on a wide range of projects, mainly focusing on those funded by the European Regional Development Fund but also on projects funded by European Social Fund, FP7, European Research Council and H2020.

Lisa is part of the project management team working across the IAT's Clean Aviation projects, working closely with academic and industry partners.

Lisa has supported SMEs and large industrial partners for the past eight years across European and Innovate UK funded projects.

Hadrian is the Project Officer for the Institute, bringing his nine years of administrative and project support to a variety of projects and initiatives during his time with the team. This includes projects funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Clean Sky 2/Clean Aviation, Marie Skłodowska-Curie doctoral programmes and other internal initiatives.

Recently, he worked on the £20 million ERDF Aerospace UP project, which provided support to SMEs across the Midlands, in which he provided financial and grant support, amongst other things.

Grace manages a number of projects funded by UKRI, the European Commission and industry through Clean Sky 2 and Clean Aviation programmes to develop technologies that drive energy efficiency and the emission reduction of future aircraft. She works closely with academics on the Clean Aviation “NEWBORN” project and liaises with consortium partners such as Honeywell, Pipistrel and Fraunhofer to design a 1 megawatt electric engine.

Grace has a background in chemical and environmental engineering and was a Daphne Jackson Fellow, studying energy storage materials and devices. She has now expanded her interests into aerospace electrification, especially to reduce environmental impact, and is devoted to supporting research project delivery.

Mark is an Associate Professor within the Faculty of Engineering and he is the Aerospace Engineering Course Director. He is the module convenor for the first year Aerospace Aerodynamics module and a tutor for a first and third year module.

His main research interests include aerodynamic flow control in aerospace and automotive applications for drag reduction. This research combines experimental fluid mechanics, modeling and optimisation, and vehicle system integration studies.

He is the PI for the Clean Sky 2 WingPulse project and the Co-I for the Clean Sky 2 TailSurf project. He is currently supervising four PhD students.

Mark is a Member of the Royal Aeronautical Society (MRAeS) and a co-opted member of the RAeS Aerodynamics Specialist Group.

Visit his Google Scholar page here and his Research Group's page here.