Dr Wei Tan
BEng, PhD, FHEA, MIMMM
Reader in Mechanics of Materials
ERC Starting Grant Awardee
Head of Mechanics of Composite Materials Group
IT Committee Chair
Engineering 223, Mile End
| Feedback/ support hours: |
4 pm to 5 pm Friday (in-person) 3 pm to 4 pm Wednesday (MS Team) |
| Expertise: | My research expertise lies in the mechanics of materials, multiscale modelling, multifunctional composites, finite element methods and data-driven methods. In particular, I have developed (1) computational models to understand the failure of composite materials under impact and crush loadings; (2) multifunctional composites for energy storage, shape-morphing and sensing; (3) data-driven methods for topology optimisation of cellular composites. |
| Research Centre: | Intelligent Transport |
| Affiliations: |
Associate Editor of Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering (Solid Mechanics), Since 2022 Executive Member of UK Association for Computational Mechanics Committee (ECCOMAS YIC Representative), Since 2023 Member of European Mechanics Society, Since Aug. 2018 Professional Membership of IoM3, Since 2021 |
Brief Biography
Dr Wei Tan is currently a Reader in Mechanics of Materials. He joined Queen Mary as a Lecturer in Jan 2020, then he was promoted to Senior Lecturer (2022), Reader (2024). Prior to this, he was a Research Associate at the University of Cambridge. Dr. Tan's research encompasses a wide array of multidisciplinary challenges, spanning the fields of solid mechanics, materials science, physics and chemistry. He aims to reveal the deformation and failure mechanisms of materials by a combination of experimental, analytical and numerical approaches.
Dr. Tan's recent research endeavours have been centred on addressing pivotal scientific challenges crucial for expediting our transition towards a net-zero carbon society, with a primary focus on the innovative use of lightweight materials. This work also contributes significantly to mitigating our energy and climate crises. His research domains include: (1) Mechanics of Materials: Investigating areas such as plasticity, fracture, fatigue, and liquid-solid impact degradation of materials; (2) Multifunctional Composites: Pioneering the development of multifunctional composites tailored for applications in energy storage, shape-morphing, and sensing. (3) Modelling: Applying mathematical, numerical, finite element, data-driven methods to accelerate the modelling and optimisation of solids and fluid-solid interactions.
These substantial research efforts have received critical backing from prestigious funding programs, including the ERC Starting Grant, EPSRC New Investigator Award, Royal Society, and the Graphene Flagship Project. Dr. Tan has taken the lead role as PI for projects securing over £1.8 million in funding over the past four years. He has made substantial contributions to prestigious journals, including the Journal of Mechanics and Physics of Solids, Composites Science and Technology, Composite Part A/B, and Carbon, receiving over 2,200 citations and an H-index of 21. In recognition of his outstanding research contributions, Dr. Tan has received several awards, including the 2024 ESCM Young Researcher Award, Queen Mary Faculty Research Excellence Award, Cambridge Bluesky Award and the Royal Aeronautical Society Bronze Paper Award. Additionally, Dr. Tan was featured among the World's Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University in 2023 (Materials).
Beyond his remarkable research achievements, Dr. Tan is a dedicated and passionate educator. He employs innovative teaching techniques to deliver high-quality education. Notably, he has pioneered the creation of a new UG module, "Computational and Mathematical Modelling," a pioneering endeavour that seamlessly integrates mathematics, mechanics, and Python programming into the realm of engineering mathematics education. His exceptional teaching contributions has been acknowledged through the QMUL Faculty Award for Education and Student Experience.
Dr. Tan's recent research endeavours have been centred on addressing pivotal scientific challenges crucial for expediting our transition towards a net-zero carbon society, with a primary focus on the innovative use of lightweight materials. This work also contributes significantly to mitigating our energy and climate crises. His research domains include: (1) Mechanics of Materials: Investigating areas such as plasticity, fracture, fatigue, and liquid-solid impact degradation of materials; (2) Multifunctional Composites: Pioneering the development of multifunctional composites tailored for applications in energy storage, shape-morphing, and sensing. (3) Modelling: Applying mathematical, numerical, finite element, data-driven methods to accelerate the modelling and optimisation of solids and fluid-solid interactions.
These substantial research efforts have received critical backing from prestigious funding programs, including the ERC Starting Grant, EPSRC New Investigator Award, Royal Society, and the Graphene Flagship Project. Dr. Tan has taken the lead role as PI for projects securing over £1.8 million in funding over the past four years. He has made substantial contributions to prestigious journals, including the Journal of Mechanics and Physics of Solids, Composites Science and Technology, Composite Part A/B, and Carbon, receiving over 2,200 citations and an H-index of 21. In recognition of his outstanding research contributions, Dr. Tan has received several awards, including the 2024 ESCM Young Researcher Award, Queen Mary Faculty Research Excellence Award, Cambridge Bluesky Award and the Royal Aeronautical Society Bronze Paper Award. Additionally, Dr. Tan was featured among the World's Top 2% Scientists by Stanford University in 2023 (Materials).
Beyond his remarkable research achievements, Dr. Tan is a dedicated and passionate educator. He employs innovative teaching techniques to deliver high-quality education. Notably, he has pioneered the creation of a new UG module, "Computational and Mathematical Modelling," a pioneering endeavour that seamlessly integrates mathematics, mechanics, and Python programming into the realm of engineering mathematics education. His exceptional teaching contributions has been acknowledged through the QMUL Faculty Award for Education and Student Experience.