The Tribology Group - How we are governed

Ardian Morina is a Professor of Engineering Tribology at the University of Leeds. His research is focused on developing experimental and numerical tools for elucidating the chemical and physical processes at tribological interfaces and their effect on friction and wear performance of industrial engineering systems. He is the author of >150 papers and has been PI/Co-I on around £15M of research grants supported by EPSRC, EU and industry. From July 2016 until April 2020, Professor Morina was Director of Research and Innovation for the School of Mechanical Engineering, and since 1st of April 2020 holds the role of Deputy Pro-Dean for International of the Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Leeds. He was the School of Mechanical Engineering lead for REF2021. Prof Morina is the programme leader of the first international joint master programme at the University of Leeds, Joint European Master on Tribology of Surfaces and Interfaces (https://www.master-tribos.eu/) and is actively involved in teaching undergraduate (Solid Mechanics module, individual and group project supervision) and postgraduate (Lubricants and Lubrication module, master project supervision) students. Prof Morina is Associate Editor of Tribology Online, published by the Japanese Society of Tribologists, and Guest Editor of the 2023 Leeds-Lyon Symposium on Tribology special issues in Tribology International and Journal of Engineering Tribology, and is on the Editorial Board of Lubrication Science and Tribology – Materials, Surfaces and Interfaces journals. He is the past chair of the IMechE Tribology Group Committee, in which he has been a member since 2011.

University of Sheffield

Senior Research Analyst, Rail Safety and Standards Board

Mostafa is a research fellow at the University of Southampton with an interest tribology. His primary research involves material analysis of microstructural alterations prompted by tribological conditions in steel bearings such as white etching cracks due to rolling contact fatigue. This research contributes to the enhanced understanding the material integrity of bearings across diverse operational scenarios.

Mostafa obtained his MSc in Sustainable Energy Technologies in 2017 and completed his PhD in 2022, both at the University of Southampton. His PhD, conducted in collaboration with Schaeffler Technologies, focused on elucidating the formation mechanism of dark etching regions and white etching bands in bearing steel due to rolling contact fatigue through multiscale analysis ranging from atomic to micro-scale.  Mostafa has been involved in other projects, one of which involves the analysis of bearing and seal performance within a propellant pump designed for cryogenic applications using liquid oxygen for lubrication. A thorough examination and modelling of pertinent factors such as heat generation and wear characteristics of different materials was utilized to optimize both design considerations and operational parameters to enhance the overall performance of the system.

Throughout his research career, Mostafa has received multiple prestigious awards including the IMechE Mission of Tribology (2019), STLE best young presenter award (2021), IMechE Tribology Bronze medal (2022), IOP Innovation in Tribology (2022), Schaeffler FAG Innovation Award (2022) and Doctoral College Research Award (2023).

Mostafa is an active member in the IMechE tribology group and devoted to promoting tribology to industry and academia to benefit the wider engineering community.

Senior Lecturer, University of Glasgow

Daniel is Senior Lecturer (Associate Professor) in Materials and Tribology at the University of Glasgow James Watt School of Engineering. Following undergraduate studies in mechanical engineering, he completed a doctorate in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford in 2012. He subsequently undertook postdoctoral periods at the University of Limerick, EPFL Switzerland and the University of Cambridge prior to joining Glasgow in 2016. His interests are mainly focused on tribology and materials engineering as well as materials and tribology for energy applications. His work in tribology has included contributions on friction, wear, surface topography, triboelectrification and adhesion. Dr Mulvihill is a former Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) Tribology Trust Bronze Medalist (2013). He is a ‘novel materials editor’ for Chemical Engineering Journal (Elsevier) and also editor for Results in Engineering (Elsevier). He has been a chartered member of the institution since 2017.

Mandar Thakare is the Associate Director of ICAM. He joined bp in Sep 2019, as the Materials Science Programme Manager, and in Nov 2021 was appointed as the Associate Director. He is responsible for ensuring that the bp-ICAM continues to deliver business value and maintains alignment with bp’s strategy for net zero transition.  He has over fifteen years’ experience in materials engineering, innovation strategy, and new product development. Prior to joining bp, he worked as an Innovation Programme Lead at Element Six Ltd., where he supported a multi-site global team of scientists in developing and commercialising novel polycrystalline diamond products for oil and gas applications.

Lecturer in Tribology, The University of Sheffield

Dr Kate Tomlinson is a Lecturer in Tribology in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. She is a member of the Leonardo Centre for Tribology and the Rail Innovation and Technology Centre at the University of Sheffield.

Kate became a lecturer in the department in 2023, prior to that she was a Senior Lecturer in Railway Engineering Management at Sheffield Hallam University. She graduated from the University of Derby with a BSc in Mathematics (1st class) in 2017, before moving to the University of Sheffield to obtain her PhD in Mechanical Engineering.

Kate’s PhD was sponsored by Network Rail and concerned the life extension of railway track components through additive manufacturing. She has since worked as a Research Associate in broader areas of Tribology, focusing on friction and biotribology.