Postgraduate students
Postgraduate researchers
| Name | Position | Research area |
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Kawthar Alkateb
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PhD Researcher |
Kawthar joined the Aerodynamic and Aeroacoustic Research Group as a PhD student in 2026, after completing her MEng in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol. Her research primarily focuses on experimental investigations of turbulent boundary layer flows over heterogeneous and rough surfaces, with particular emphasis on the characterisation of roughness-induced secondary flows. Her work is particularly relevant to understanding urban flow behaviour and its implications for pollution transport and exposure in the context of sustainable cities. Research interests include:
Project title: Non-equilibrium turbulent boundary layers over heterogeneous surfaces |
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Ola Al-Khuraybi
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PhD Researcher |
Ola is a Mechanical Engineer & Computational Physicist with expertise in multiphysics numerical modelling, atmospheric electricity, experimental fluid dynamics, and turbulent transport. Currently a PhD researcher specialising in high-fidelity numerical simulation development and experimental validation. Background spans developing C++ Monte Carlo simulation pipelines, engineering diagnostic instrumentation for high-frequency wind-tunnel measurements, and formulating microphysical nucleation and phase-change models. Experienced in high-performance computing, numerical algorithm design, and collaborative open-source software development. Research Interests:
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Nurul Asyikin Abu Bakar
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PhD Researcher |
Nurul joined the University of Bristol as a PhD student in Aerospace Engineering. She obtained a BEng (Hons) and an MSc (Research) in Aerospace Engineering from Universiti Sains Malaysia. Prior to her PhD, she gained experience in experimental aerodynamics and wind tunnel testing, with previous research focused on hydrokinetic turbine aerodynamics.
Her current research focuses on experimental investigations of scalar dispersion, turbulent mixing, and pollutant transport in indoor environments, particularly educational spaces such as classrooms. Her work uses wind tunnel experiments and techniques including Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) and Flame Ionisation Detection (FID) to investigate pollutant dispersion and its implications for indoor air quality.
Research interests include:
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Kieran Barry
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PhD Researcher |
Kieran joined the research group in October 2024 after completing his Meng in Aerospace engineering at the University of Bristol. His PhD research is focused on developing and improving numerical tools for aerodynamic and acoustic prediction, focusing on their application to eVTOL design. Research interest include:
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Samuel Bhella
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PhD Researcher |
Following the completion of his BEng and MSc degrees in Aerospace Engineering, Samuel joined the Sound Futures Centre for Doctoral Training at the University of Bristol in 2026. His PhD research focuses on how aerodynamic design and aerofoil shaping influence the acoustic performance of rotating propellers. His responsibilities combine numerical and experimental methods to investigate the generation and mitigation of broadband noise from propellers, with the aim of developing quieter designs while maintaining aerodynamic performance. Research interests include:
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Soner Bilyaz
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PhD Researcher |
Soner joined the research group in April 2024, and is working on the aeroacoustic Design and Optimisation of Electric Vertical Take-off and Landing (eVTOL) propulsion systems. He obtained his Bachelor's Degree in 2019 from the Middle East Technical University (METU) Mechanical Engineering Department, and his Master's Degree in 2023 from the METU Aerospace Engineering Department. He mostly studies propulsor-airframe integration topics and also has some experience in experimental fluid mechanics and test bench preparation. In addition to this, he worked in industry for two years. Research interests include:
Project title: eVTOLUTION (eVTOL mUlti-fideliTy hybrid desIgn and Optimization for low Noise and high aerodynamic performance) |
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Fachrurrazi Burhanuddin
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PhD Researcher |
Fachrurrazi graduated from the Indonesian Civil Aviation Institute with a degree in Aircraft Engineering in 2012. Following his graduation, Fachrurrazi began working at the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation, where he have been employed to date. In 2019, He pursued further studies at Cranfield University, earning an MSc in Thermal Power with a specialization in Gas Turbine Technology. In February 2023, Fachrurrazi continued his doctoral studies at the University of Bristol in Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics Research Group. Fachrurrazi’s research primarily focuses on the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic characteristics of ducted propellers in Urban Air Mobility applications. Specifically, He utilize experimental methods to investigate these areas. Fachrurrazi is involved in developing innovative approaches for reducing noise and enhancing aerodynamic performance in ducted propellers. Research interests include:
Research projects include:
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Liam Cook
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PhD Researcher |
Liam joined the Fluid and Aerodynamics Research Group in 2025 after completing his Master in Physics (MPhys) degree. Research interests:
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Sahil Dey
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PhD Researcher |
Sahil joined the research group in 2026 as a PhD researcher within the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Sound Futures (CDT). His research focuses on high-fidelity CFD and aeroacoustics investigation of turbulent flow-induced noise from aircraft landing gear, in collaboration with Safran Landing Systems and the University of Bristol. His work explores the unsteady flow structures and underlying mechanisms responsible for landing gear noise, drawing on high-fidelity Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), Computational Aeroacoustics (CAA), and advanced numerical and data-driven approaches, including the Lattice Boltzmann Method (LBM), modal decomposition, and Machine Learning (ML). He holds an MSc in Advanced Mechanical Engineering from Cranfield University and a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Western Michigan University. Prior to his PhD, he gained more than six years of industry experience at Voxshell, Ingersoll Rand, and Baker Hughes. During this time, he worked on complex fluid systems and turbomachinery applications, specialising in CFD, Finite Element Analysis (FEA), mechanical design, thermal analysis, and numerical simulation. Research interests include:
Project title: High-Fidelity CFD and Aeroacoustics Investigation of Turbulent Flow-Induced Noise from Aircraft Landing Gear |
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Liam Goodfellow
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PhD Researcher |
Liam is a PhD student at the University of Bristol with the CDT Sound Futures Research Group. He joined the programme in September 2026 after completing his MSc in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Bristol. His project, in partnership and funded by Safran Landing Systems, is titled: ‘Experimental Investigation of Flow-Induced Noise from Aircraft Landing Gear’. The project will experimentally investigate the flow mechanisms responsible for noise generation from representative aircraft landing gear configurations. The work will combine advanced aerodynamic and aeroacoustic measurement techniques with data-driven modelling to establish relationships between turbulent flow structures and the resulting acoustic field. The research will be conducted in close collaboration with Safran SLS. Its outcomes will support the development and assessment of next-generation low-noise landing gear concepts and contribute to the wider objective of reducing the environmental impact of aviation. |
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Matheus Rocha Marques De Almeida
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PhD Researcher |
Matheus joined the University of Bristol in April 2024. He obtained a BSc and MSc in Chemical Engineering from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) in 2021 and 2024, respectively, where he was funded by Shell company. His research primarily focused on turbulent flows and heat transfer in closed cavities and scalar dispersion using CFD tools as OpenFOAM and Fluent. During his MSc, he developed a new methodology to obtain the transverse dispersion coefficient from porous media in pore-scale modelled by PNM approach. His research is funded by the Horizon Europe MODELAIR project (Marie-Curie Doctoral Network fellowship), he specialises in wind tunnel experimental methods, atmospheric and turbulent boundary layer flows, fluid mechanics and their applications. Matheus' main interests include:
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Forrest Han
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PhD Researcher |
Forrest has been a PhD student in the aeroacoustics research group since September 2023, following his MEng degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol. Forrest’s research mainly focuses on the aeroacoustic and aerodynamic characteristics of Distributed Electric Propulsion vehicles through experimental and numerical approaches. As a part of the INDIGO EU Project, he is currently working on a set of experimental aerodynamic and noise emission measurements to help validate the numerical results from project partners, as well as examining advanced noise reduction techniques to better understand and improve the effectiveness and robustness of these methods. Research interests include:
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Liam Hanson
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PhD Researcher |
Liam joined the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic research group as a PhD student in 2020 after completing his MEng in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Bristol. Research interests include:
Project title: Aerodynamics and Aeroacoustics of Novel Propellers. |
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Amara Hussein-Roy
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PhD Researcher |
Amara joined the research group as a PhD student in 2025, after completing an MRes in Physics and a BSc in Environmental Geoscience at the University of Bristol. She also works within the Interface Analysis Centre in the School of Physics and collaborates with the Met Office through a studentship. Her research focuses on improving the forecasting of radiological dispersion in and around urban areas using computational fluid dynamics and wind tunnel experiments. Her work combines numerical modelling and experimental approaches to investigate the effects of complex urban environments on atmospheric dispersion.
Research interests:
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Luca Ibraim
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PhD Researcher |
Luca’s research integrates high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and machine learning (ML) to investigate environmental fluid mechanics, supported by experimental measurements for validation and physical insight. After graduating from the University of Sheffield in 2025 with an MEng in Mechanical Engineering, he joined the University of Bristol in 2026 for his PhD, where he studies how complex terrain and urban topography influence ventilation pathways and pollutant transport, while developing new computational methods that combine CFD and ML for improved flow and dispersion modelling. Research Interests:
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Pravin Kamble |
PhD Researcher |
Bio pending |
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Ahmed Khan
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PhD Researcher |
Ahmed completed his MEng with a Year in Industry at the University of Bristol in 2025. His undergraduate projects included creating an analytical model for indoor scalar dispersion problems and experimentally investigating the effect of inflow turbulence on a UAM propeller. His internship experience includes a research internship at Dyson and a summer internship in hydrodynamics at Lloyds Register. Following this, Ahmed joined the EPSRC CDT for Sustainable Sound Futures to complete a PhD at the University of Bristol. Research interests:
Research project title: Novel noise control methods for next-generation wind turbines-Sponsored by Siemens Gamesa Renewable Energy |
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Sujan Lamichhane |
PhD Researcher |
Bio pending |
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Luis Fernando Lopes De Moraes Filho
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PhD Researcher |
Luis Fernando joined the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic research group as a PhD student in September 2023 after a 12-year experience as Product Development Engineer at Embraer - Brazil. He completes his MEng in Aeronautical Engineering at Aeronautics Institute of Technology (ITA - Instituto Tecnologico de Aeronautica - SP/Brazil). Research interests include:
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Lucas Lee |
PhD Researcher |
Bio pending |
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Phelim McNally |
PhD Researcher |
Phelim is collaborating with, and funded by, the National University of Singapore on his PhD. Phelim’s projects focus on applying active and passive flow control techniques. He is using computational and experimental methods to develop test rigs, aiming to advance the fundamental understanding of these methods and the practical implementation of flow control technologies in aviation and motorsport. Phelim has also contributed to several industry projects within the research group, including collaborations with Cadillac Formula 1® Team and National Grid®. Previously Phelim studied at the University of Glasgow and was awarded an MEng in Aeronautical Engineering in 2024. Research Interests:
Project Title: Experimental Flow Control Techniques for Aircraft |
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Shaiful Hakim Bin Mohamed Noor
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PhD Researcher |
Hakim's recent research primarily concentrates on surface treatment in non-equilibrium turbulent boundary layers in a wind tunnel, using particle image velocimetry (PIV), with a specific focus on vortex generators. His responsibilities include designing, fabricating, and installing experimental setups, data collection and programming for post-processing and conducting streamwise and spanwise airflow measurements in wind tunnels. Research interests include:
Academic Background:
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Shahmir Panjwani
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PhD Researcher |
Shahmir joined the Aerodynamic and Aeroacoustics Research Group as a PhD researcher within the EPSRC Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Sound Futures, after completing his MEng in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol. His PhD research focuses on the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic interaction between propellers and wings, with particular emphasis on wing-mounted propeller configurations relevant to future electric and distributed propulsion aircraft. His work uses experimental methods to investigate how the propeller wake influences the aerodynamic performance, flow field and noise characteristics of the wing–propeller system.
Research interests include:
• Experimental aerodynamics and aeroacoustics
• Propeller aerodynamics and noise
• Propeller-wing interaction
• Distributed electric propulsion
• Wind-tunnel testing and flow measurements
• Aircraft noise and noise reduction
Research project title: Aeroacoustics of Novel Propulsion Systems
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Shaun Pullin
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PhD Researcher |
Shaun's research area is primarily focused on the development of numerical methods for the aerodynamic and acoustic modelling of propellers, distributed propulsion systems and propulsor-vehicle integration. Shaun graduated from the University of Bristol in 2020 with a MEng (Hons) in Aerospace Engineering. He then began a PhD at the University of Bristol in 2021, with a project focused on the modelling of aerodynamics and acoustics of distributed propulsion systems. Research interests include:
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Sam Rawling
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PhD Researcher |
Sam is joining the University of Bristol in 2026 after completing his MEng degree in aerospace engineering at the University of Sheffield. His research will focus on the aeroacoustics and characterisation of wall pressure fluctuations beneath a turbulent boundary layer using experimental methods. The project is a part of the Sustainable Sound Futures CDT programme based at the University of Salford and is in partnership with ONERA, the French Aerospace Lab. Research interests include:
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Charlie Sharp
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PhD Researcher |
Charlie began his PhD with the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic research group, in partnership and funded by Safran Landing Systems, in September 2024 after completing his MSc in Aerospace Engineering graduating from the University of Bristol. Charlie’s research primarily focuses on the aerodynamics and aeroacoustics of vortex shedding with a focus on mitigation through the use of permeable materials for noise reduction purposes. Research interests include:
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Nada Taouil
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Marie Curie Early Stage Researcher |
Nada joined the University of Bristol in September 2023. She obtained a BSc in Aeronautical Engineering from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2018 and an MSc in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Glasgow in 2023. Her research primarily focuses on optimisation methods and their applications in aerodynamics, atmospheric boundary layer flows, and turbulent flows. Additionally, she specialises in wind tunnel experimental methods and their applications in wall-bounded flows and fluid mechanics. Research interests include:
Project title: Experimental measurements to study the influence of the pollutant release |
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George Wiltshire
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PhD Researcher |
George joined the EPRSC Centre for Doctoral Training in Sustainable Sound Futures in 2026 having obtained an Msci in Mathematics from the University of Bristol. He is working on the design and noise management of vertiports for eVTOL (electric Vertical Take-off and Landing) aircraft. As part of his research, he is working to measure the effect of various vertiport configurations using both computational and experimental methods as well as how vertiport management can be used to reduce the noise of operations. Research interests include:
Project title: Vertiport Design and Noise Management for Urban Air Mobility |
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Christopher Yi
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PhD Researcher |
Chris joined the aerodynamic and aeroacoustic research group as a PhD student in 2022 after completing his MEng degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Bristol. His research interests are:
Project title: Multi-rotor Aerodynamics and Noise for Next-Generation Propulsion. |
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