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Dr Tao Zhao Dr Tao Zhao
Senior Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dr. Tao Zhao is a senior Lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Brunel University London. Prior to joining Brunel University, he was an Assistant Professor in Geotechnical Engineering at Sichuan University, China during 2015-2018. Tao was a visiting scholar in The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2016. Dr Zhao is a Chartered Civil Engineer (CEng) and a Member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (MICE). Tao received his DPhil (PhD) degree in Engineering Science from University of Oxford in 2014. His DPhil research project was “Investigation of Landslide-Induced Debris Flows by the DEM and CFD”, supervised by Prof. Guy Houlsby and Prof. Stefano Utili. Tao holds a BEng degree in Civil Engineering awarded in 2010 by Tongji University, China. Tao’s research interest spans a broad range of computational analysis of geotechnics and geohazards. Over the past 10 years, he has been working on the computer modelling of landslides, debris flows, and rock avalanches using the discrete element method (DEM) and computational fluid dynamics (CFD). His research focuses on progressive slope failure, coastal erosion and submarine landlsides. Tao has been dedicated to understanding the underlying physics of these geohazards and establish predictive models. Tao has published more than 60 high-quality peer-reviewed scientific papers on leading research journals with an H-index of 28 from the Google Scholar Dr Zhao is a scientific editorial board member of the journals: Deep Underground Science and Engineering ( (Associate Director of the Early Career Editorial Board) Landslides ( Journal of Rock Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering ( Investigations of landslides, debris flow, rockfall and rock avalanche Investigations of coastal erosion, submarine landslides, soil-structure interaction Partical breakage and shape effect of problematic marine soil (e.g. calcareous sands) Rock fragmentation, granular mechanics, graular flow rheology Finite Element Method (FEM), Discrete Element Method (DEM), Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD); Random Field Theory (RFT)

Members

Dr Sotirios Argyroudis Dr Sotirios Argyroudis
Lecturer in Infrastructure Engineering
Dr Sotirios Argyroudis is a Lecturer (Assistant Professor) of Infrastructure Engineering at the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences at Brunel University London. He is leading the infrastructure risk and resilience research. Before joining Brunel he was a Marie-Skłodowska-Curie research fellow at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, at the University of Surrey (TRANSRISK project), and after the completion of his fellowship, he has been appointed as a visiting Senior Lecturer at the University of Surrey, UK. He had previously worked at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Greece, as senior research and teaching staff (since 2006) and as a researcher (since 2001). He holds two degrees, one in Civil Engineering (MEng) and the second one in Geology (BSc), and a PhD in Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering. Sotirios has been working across international partnerships and has visited and/or seconded to world leading institutes such as Stanford University in USA, the Norwegian Geotechnical Institute (NGI), the Transportation Research Laboratory (TRL) in UK, the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) in Italy, and the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Sotirios has over 20 years of experience in vulnerability, disaster risk and resilience assessment of critical infrastructure and urban systems exposed to multiple hazards (e.g. floods, earthquakes) and climate change effects. Whilst working in Aristotle University (Research Unit of Soil Dynamics and Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering) he participated and won important national and European research projects (SYNER-G, STREST, REAKT, SAFELAND, SIBYL, LESSLOSS, RISK-UE, SRM-LIFE among others). In the framework of these projects, he delivered research reports and results as well as tailored seminars to stakeholders, owners and risk managers. He has also delivered CPD training seminars in the UK dealing with quantitative and qualitative risk analysis and resilience assessment of critical infrastructure. Sotirios is a member of the Centre for Flood Risk and Resilience and the Research Group of Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering at Brunel University Sotirios is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, UK (FHEA) and member of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK), CEng, MICE. He supervised and co-ordinated several UG, MSc and PhD research students, delivered lectures and seminars on natural hazards and risk assessment. Sotirios authored over 120 project reports, research bids, scientific articles in high-impact journals, conferences and book chapters with over 2,100 citations (h-index 26, GoogleScholar). He acts as a reviewer for national research funds such as the EPSRC and the European Commission, and for several international scientific journals. He is Vice-Chair of the IABSE Task Group 1.8 on ‘Design requirements for infrastructure resilience’ and member of the EAEE Working Group 13 on ‘Seismic assessment, design and resilience of industrial facilities’. He co-founded the www.bridgeUkraine.org initiative, aiming at accelerating Ukraine's critical infrastructure recovery. He co-leads the www.infrastructuResilience.com, which is an initiative that strives to deliver infrastructure resiliency. Sotirios has been awarded the 2022 European Council on Computing in Construction (EC3) Thorpe Medal, for the paper: Argyroudis, S.A., Mitoulis, S.A., Chatzi, E., Baker, J.W., Brilakis, I., Gkoumas, K., Vousdoukas, M., Hynes, W., Carluccio, S., Keou, O., Frangopol, D.M., Linkov, I. (2022) "Digital technologies can enhance global climate resilience of critical infrastructure," as a major contribution to practical and research aspects of engineering informatics disciplines in the built environment. vulnerability and risk assessment of transport infrastructure (highways, railways, port and airport facilities) exposed to geohazards numerical modelling and analysis of infrastructure assets (bridges, tunnels, embankments, retaining walls, roads, railways, port facilities) considering soil-structure-ecosystem-interaction resilience assessment of critical infrastructure under single and multiple hazards (climate change, flood/scour effects, earthquakes, landslides, tsunamis) resilience enhancement for critical civil infrastructure using emerging technologies systemic analysis and stress tests for critical infrastructure and networks considering interdependencies Sotirios is Course Director MSc Civil Engineering, and is involved in the following modules: Module coordinator: CE5602/5652 Structural Dynamics and Seismic Design CE5519/5660 Infrastructure Management CE5516 Civil Engineering Dissertation (Jan starters) BE1605 Engineering Mechanics and Materials II Module contributor: CE3613 Sustainable Transport Infrastructure Engineering CE5513 Research Methods and Professional Development CE1702 Engineering and Environmental Materials CE5006 Group Project
Dr Philip Collins Dr Philip Collins
Vice Dean - Education
Phil Collins is Vice Dean (Education) in the College of Engineering, Design & Physical Sciences and Reader in Geology & Geotechnical Engineering. He completed his doctoral research into the Quaternary geology of the Kennet Valley at the University of Reading in 1994 before undertaking postdoctoral studies into relative sea level change in the Department of Geography & Earth Sciences at the West London Institute. Phil became a lecturer at Brunel University College in 1995, moving to the Uxbridge Campus of Brunel University in 1997. In 2007, University restructuring saw him join the Department of Mechanical Engineering where he led the establishment of the new Civil Engineering degree programme. In 2009, he was appointed Acting Head of the newly formed Civil Engineering Subject Area, became Associate Dean in the new College in 2014 and Vice Dean in 2017. He continues to be an active member of the Department of Civil & Environmental Engineering, as well as contributing to a wide range of College and University activities. Civil Engineering Twitter: I’m very much a believer in personalised teaching where the lecturer brings their own experience and interests into the lecture room. I am a firm believer in taking theory out into the real world, whether this is in the laboratory, surveying on campus, or further afield on a residential field course. Module leader Year 2 undergraduate: Geotechnical Engineering Other teaching Year 2 undergraduate: Professional Skills, Methods MSc: Research methods Year 3 undergraduate: Research Report MEng: Group Project MSc Geoenvironmental Management MSc: Dissertation
Dr Lee Hosking Dr Lee Hosking
Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Lee is a Lecturer in Geo-environmental Engineering at the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. As a member of the Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering (GEE) research group, he specialises in the numerical modelling of geo-energy engineering technologies, such as geological CO2 sequestration and unconventional geothermal energy recovery. Before joining Brunel University London at the start of 2020, Lee was a Research Associate at the Geoenvironmental Research Centre, Cardiff University, where he led the £1.3M CO₂ sequestration work package of the £24 million FLEXIS energy systems research project (2015-2020). He received his PhD from Cardiff University in 2014, having graduated with a First Class (Hons) MEng degree in Civil Engineering, also from Cardiff University. His research centres on investigating the coupled thermal, hydraulic, mechanical, and chemical behaviour of deep geo-energy systems, including in fractured reservoirs, adopting dual porosity and discrete fracture network (DFN) modelling approaches. More recently, he has expanded his research to consider the interplays between fluid injection and induced microseismicity, of practical importance to industry and public stakeholders for the development of unconventional geothermal energy systems, as well as being a topic of significant interest to the general public. This research is conducted in collaboration with China University of Mining and Technology with funding from The Royal Society. Lee is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), a member of the Editorial Board for the journal Deep Underground Science and Engineering, an Academic Member of the UK Carbon Capture and Storage Research Centre (UKCCSRC), a Member of the British Geotechnical Association (BGA), and a Member of the International Society for Rock Mechanics and Rock Engineering (ISRM). Lee is always looking for talented and motivated PhD students as well as new collaborators for research projects. Lee is currently involved in the delivery of the following modules: Module leader: CE3613 Sustainable Transport Infrastructure Engineering Module contributor: CE1620 Introduction to Contemporary Civil Engineering CE2604 Civil Engineering Toolbox and Professional Skills CE3009/CE3099 Individual Project CE5516 Civil Engineering Dissertation
Dr Mei Yin Dr Mei Yin
Lecturer in Civil and Environmental Engineering
Dr. Mei Yin obtained a PhD degree in Geotechnical Engineering from Cambridge University working on the submarine landslides both experimentally and numerically. Her research was funded by BP. She worked as a geotechnical engineer with AECOM in their Bedford Office and was involved in the geotechnical design and construction aspects of a number of projects including Platform, Retaining Wall Designs for Hinckley Point C; Embankments, Cutting slope design, and Bridge foundation designs for transportation projects in Folder Valley Linked Road and A428, etc.. She started her academic career as a lecturer in Geotechnical Engineering at Brunel University London. THM coupling analysis of energy infrastructure (geothermal) Offshore deposits and soft marine clays Physical and numerical modelling Subsea pipeline soil interaction assessment, Monitoring of civil engineering infrastructure by using advanced sensors. Mei is currently delivering Soil Mechanics (undergradute course), Geoenvironment Engineering (Master course), MEng project.