Dr Devesh Mistry

Dr Devesh Mistry

Profile

I finished my PhD in 2018 in the Soft Matter Group in the School of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Leeds, supervised by Professor Helen Gleeson, Professor Philip Morgan (Optometry, Manchester) and John Clamp (CLPL UltraVision). My PhD research focused on the mechanical properties of acrylate-based liquid crystal elastomers, for instance,the physical nature of their anisotropic and non-linear mechanical response. Of key interest was the previously unseen negative Poisson’s ratio (auxetic) behaviour of liquid crystal elastomers, and the links between this phenomena and the counterintuitive state of ordering within the liquid crystal elastomer. My PhD was supported by an Industrial Fellowship from the Royal Commission for the Exhibition of 1851.

Following my PhD I moved to the Smart Materials and Biomechanics Lab in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Colorado, Denver, where I worked with Dr Chris Yakakci. In this position, supported by a Lindemann Fellowship, I explored the dissipative (energy absorptive) mechanical properties of liquid crystal elastomers 3D printed via digital light process printing and direct-ink writing. Of particular interest was how we could use 3D printing to create bulk-scale devices capable of absoring large amounts of mechanical energy over a large range of strain rates (impact speeds).

In March 2021 I started my Leverhulme Early Career Fellowship as a UAF at the University of Leeds. Here I am exploring the fundamental structure-property relationships that underpin the highly dissipative nature liquid crystal elastomers and other similarly ordered polymeric materials. I will be developing 3D printable composites to combine highly dissipative responses of soft materials with the functionalities of other materials.

Responsibilities

  • Tutor for Year in Industry Placement Students
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://eps.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Qualifications

  • PhD in Soft Matter Physics, University of Leeds
  • MPhys, Hertford College, University of Oxford

Research groups and institutes

  • Soft Matter Physics

Current postgraduate researchers

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>