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Mahdi Bodaghi

Associate Professor

School of Science & Technology

Staff Group(s)
Engineering

Role

Qualifications: BSc, MSc, PhD, PGCAP, FHEA, CEng, MIMechE

Dr Mahdi Bodaghi is Associate Professor of Smart Materials & Manufacturing in the School of Science and Technology at Nottingham Trent University. He actively pursues research on Smart Materials, Bio-composites, Metamaterials, Robotic Materials, 3D and 4D Printing (Additive Manufacturing) Technologies (h-index: 57, citations: 10700). His vast experience and research on smart materials, metamaterials, and additive manufacturing has led him to 1) co-found the 4D Printing Society, 2) co-edit the book series- Smart Materials in Additive Manufacturing (Vol. 1, 2 & 3) published by Elsevier, and launch Journals of Smart Materials & Methods and 4D Printing (Co-Editor in Chief). His research has also resulted in the publication of over 315 peer-reviewed scientific papers in prestigious journals.

Modules he teaches at NTU include:

Medical Applications of Smart Materials (2019-2025) (lead)

Solid Mechanics and Dynamics, (2018-2024) (lead)

Innovation and Engineering Solutions (2018/2019) (partially involved)

Industrial Design & Product Case Studies (2018/2019) (partially involved)

Career overview

Mahdi received his BSc, MSc and PhD Degrees in Mechanical Engineering in 2007, 2010 and 2015, respectively. For his doctoral research, he developed constitutive models for functional Shape Memory Alloys (SMAs) and Piezoelectrics and assessed their sensory and actuation performance in controlling shape and vibration of smart wing-like Composite Structures by non-linear Finite Element Analysis. He received the Best Doctoral Thesis Award in 2015. During his PhD training, he also served as a Teaching Assistant and a Lecturer for the modules of Mechanics of Materials (I, II, III), Engineering Plasticity and its Applications, and Manufacturing Processes and Technologies.

From July 2015 to July 2018, he was working as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Smart Materials and Structures Laboratory at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. He worked with Prof. Wei-Hsin Liao to develop advanced multi-functional shape-memory structures fabricated by 3D and 4D Printing Technologies for Mechanical, Aerospace and Biomedical Applications.  Since October 2018, Mahdi has been with the Department of Engineering at Nottingham Trent University (NTU). He received Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice from NTU in November 2020. Mahdi has been ranked amongst top 2% of the most influential researchers in 2020-24 in the world by Elsevier and Stanford University, top 1% of reviewers in the cross-field ranked by WoS, and endorsed as Global Talent by the Royal Academy of Engineering. He has served as Chairman and member of Scientific Committees for 16 International Conferences, as Guest Editor for 8 Journals, as Editorial Board Member for 12 scientific Journals, and as Reviewer for over 150 Journals.

Mahdi’s research awards include the Best Doctoral Thesis Award; 2016 CUHK Postdoctoral Fellowship; 2017 ASME Best Paper Award in Mechanics and Material Systems; 2018 Horizon Fellowship Award; 2021 IJPEM-GT Contribution Award recognised by the Korea Society for Precision Engineering; 2023-25 Researcher in Residence supported by EPSRC Innovation Launchpad Network+; 2024 EPSRC NI Award; 2024 RAEng/Leverhulme Trust Research Fellowship; 2024 CAS PIFI Fellowship.

Research areas

Research Expertise:

  • Mechanics of Composite Materials
  • Smart Materials and Structures
  • Meta-materials
  • Robotic Materials
  • Bio-composites
  • Bio-inspired Design
  • Additive Manufacturing
  • 3D and 4D Printing Technologies

Mission:

Developing and exploiting emerging capabilities of Smart Materials, Meta-materials,  Bio-composites, 3D and 4D Printing Technologies to create and support innovative advanced device technologies for Automotive, Aerospace and Biomedical Applications.

Top 20 Research Topics:

  • 3D and 4D Printing of Smart and Bio-Composites
  • Mechanics and Design of Meta-Materials
  • Soft Robotics and Bio-Inspired Actuators
  • Adaptive and Shape Memory Structures for Aerospace and Biomedical
  • Piezoelectric Sensors for Structural Health Monitoring and Energy Harvesting
  • Self-Morphing and Self-Deploying Structures via 4D Printing
  • Sustainable and Biodegradable Materials for Additive Manufacturing
  • Topology Optimisation of Smart and Multi-Functional Materials
  • Nano-Carbon and Hybrid Composites for Mechanical Energy Absorption
  • Computational Mechanics of Functionally Graded and Smart Materials
  • Auxetic and Tunable Mechanical Meta-materials
  • Multi-Scale Modeling and Digital Twins for Smart Manufacturing
  • Self-Healing and Self-Adaptive Polymers in Medical Applications
  • Fatigue Life and Damage Recognition in Advanced Composites
  • Corrosion-Fatigue Prediction for Offshore and Structural Applications
  • Martensitic-Austenitic Phase Transformation in Functional Materials
  • Machine Learning and AI for Material Design and Analysis
  • Hybrid Composite Structures with SMA and SMP Actuators
  • Bio-Scaffolds and Meta-Structures for Tissue Engineering
  • Electroactive and Magneto-Responsive Materials for Soft Robotics

Open PhD Research Topics:

  • Self-funded PhD Position in Smart Materials, Bio-Functional/Inspired Materials, Meta-materials, Bio-composites, 3D and 4D Printing Technologies, and Biomedical Device Design

Opening:

1) Enquires are very welcome from those who are keen to pursue PhD and MPhil degrees in the areas identified above. Please contact Mahdi directly to discuss future opportunities. Further information may be obtained on the NTU Research Degrees website.

External activity

Professional Society:

Journal Service:

Member of organising committee and/or keynotes of the following conferences:

Publications

Mahdi’s research has led to the publication of over 315 scientific papers in leading journals in the mechanics, manufacturing and materials science, and the presentation of his work at major international conferences. A list of publications can be found at Google Scholar, IRep, and ORCID.

See all of Mahdi Bodaghi's publications...

Press expertise

  • Living Materials
  • Resilient Metamaterials
  • Smart Device Design
  • Green Composites
  • Sustainable Futures
  • 4D Printing the Future

UN Sustainable Development Goals

Mahdi's Main Goals

3 - Good Health and Well-Being Badge 9 - Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure Badge 11 - Sustainable Cities and Communities Badge 12 - Responsible Consumption and Production Badge