Dr Jiajia Shen

Dr. Jiajia Shen obtained his PhD in Nonlinear Structural Mechanics from Imperial College London, where he conducted research under the guidance of Prof. Ahmer Wadee and Dr. Adam Sadowski. His work focused on investigating the nonlinear buckling behaviour of thin-walled structures and developing innovative design methods. Building upon his expertise, Dr. Shen then joined the renowned research group on well-behaved nonlinear structures at the Bristol Composites Institute, University of Bristol, working closely with Prof. Alberto Pirrera, Dr. Rainer Groh, and Dr. Mark Schenk. During this time, he dedicated his efforts to advancing testing and numerical techniques for understanding the nonlinear buckling behaviour of slender and compliant structures. His research also involved exploring their applications in areas such as advanced manufacturing techniques for flexible electronics, fast-response soft robots, and non-destructive structural health monitoring based on probing techniques.

In May 2023, Dr. Shen joined the University of Exeter as a key member of the Exeter Technologies Group, led by Prof. Oana Ghita and Prof. Ken Evans. In this role, he plays a crucial part in developing the group's research profile in material modelling and simulation of additive manufacturing of high-performance polymers. Additionally, he continues to expand his research in nonlinear structural mechanics.

Dr. Shen welcomes PhD applications and seek academic and industrial collaborations in the following areas:

• Structural optimization of additive-manufactured (AM) PEEK/PEAK products, considering manufacturing defects, with a focus on medical implants and aerospace substructures.
• AI-driven novel non-destructive methods for quantifying the ultimate load carrying capacity and detecting defects in AM PEEK/PEAK products.
• Shrinkage modelling and mitigation in AM PEEK/PEAK products.
• Functionalized nonlinear structures and their novel applications, with a particular emphasis on medical and civil engineering applications.

For Chinese students, we encourage you to apply for the China Scholarship Council and University of Exeter PhD Scholarships (https://www.exeter.ac.uk/study/pg-research/csc-scholarships/). There is an internal deadline before mid December. Please contact Dr. Shen in advance, to discuss your interests and PhD application.