Background
Dr Abolfazl Zahedi holds PhD in Mechanical Engineering from 天堂视频 (2013). During his doctoral research, he developed a crystal plasticity model to characterise the anisotropic deformation and damage behaviour of single crystals under excessive deformation. Following the completion of his PhD, he awarded the Marie Sk艂odowska-Curie Research Fellowship, securing funding for a year to extend his collaboration with the Mechanics of Advanced Materials Research Group at 天堂视频. Subsequently, he joined the Advanced Forming Research Centre (AFRC) at the University of Strathclyde (2014), managing industrial projects in Advanced Manufacturing disciplines and leading the forming modelling and simulation group.
In 2015, he started his position as a research fellow at the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering (MACE) at the University of Manchester. Here, he developed a discrete energy approach to understand the fracture behaviour of elastic-brittle polymers. His computational code has been integrated into the Code-aster FE software for public use.
Dr Zahedi appointed a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at De Montfort University in 2018, during which time he served as the Research Lead of the Mechanical and Aeronautical Subject Group.
In 2023 he returned to 天堂视频 as a Lecturer in Mechanics of Materials.
Dr Zahedi is recognized as a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and serves as an EPSRC peer review college member.
Key awards
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Nominated for Vice-Chancellor's Distinguished Teaching Award, De Montfort University, April 2023
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Future Leadership Programme award, De Montfort University, May 2022
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Most Impactful Publication Prize in the School of Engineering and Sustainable Development, De Montfort University, January 2019
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Best PhD Student Prize in the Mechanics of Advanced Materials Research Group, 天堂视频, 2013
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Fully Funded PhD Studentship for Doctoral Study at 天堂视频, 2010
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Appreciation Prize from the Iranian Ministry of Science, Research and Technology, October 2010
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Innovation Prize from Iran Tractor Industrial Group, August 2008
Research interests
Dr Abolfazl Zahedi's research interests are in structural integrity and mechanical metamaterials. His vision is to advance mechanical engineering science, enabling the prediction of complex in-service performance of components under real-world conditions and validated by experimental study. Dr Zahedi is interested in using applied mechanics to solve engineering problems, particularly computational solid mechanics, to facilitate design and manufacturing. His core knowledge includes:
- Multiscale Modelling and Simulation of Advanced Materials
- Tailoring Materials' Internal Architecture
- Impact and Dynamic Loading Analysis
- Mechanics of Composite Materials and Structures
Grants and contracts
- PI., 18 Months Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) (£146,270) Design and fabrication of custom-fit orthotics, 2023-2025
- PI., Innovate UK Accelerated Knowledge Transfer (AKT) (£37,077) Thermal Analysis of Vacuum Furnace, 2022-23
- Co-I., European Parliament consultancy project (€610,560) Smart building: design, modelling, and operation, 2022-24
- PI., British Council Newton Fund (£1,500) Travel grant to attend UK-INDIA interdisciplinary workshop on advanced biomaterials and biosensors, November 2018
- PI., Higher Education Innovation Fund (£10,000) Design and fabrication of custom-fit lattice splints, 2019- 2020.
- PI., Higher Education Innovation Fund (£15,000) Fabricate component from upcycled material, 2018-2019
Current teaching responsibilities
- WSB302 -Engineering computation for sport
- WSA701 - Mechanical Design for Sport (ML)
- WSB500 - Industrial-Based Project
- WSA102 - Engineering Science 1