Dr Prashant Saxena
- Senior Lecturer (Infrastructure & Environment)
telephone:
+44 (0)141 330 2000 Ext: 0927
email:
Prashant.Saxena@glasgow.ac.uk
Glasgow
Biography
Brief biography
- Lecturer, University of Glasgow (2018 onwards)
- Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Hyderabad (2015-18)
- Postdoc, University of Lausanne, Switzerland (2014-15)
- Postdoc, Chair for Applied Mechanics, University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany (2012-14)
- PhD in Applied Mathematics, University of Glasgow (2012)
- Bachelor and Master of Technology in Mechanical Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology Kanpur (2009)
Research interests
Mechanics of Soft Solids group website
Research interests
My research group investigates soft solids and structures under extreme deformation.
We currently focus on smart composites with multi-physics coupling (electro-mechanical and magneto-mechanical), and soft biological tissues. Extreme deformation of structures made of these soft materials result in instabilities. Traditionally instabilities are associated with structural failure, but in the case of soft solids instabilities are generally reversible and can be exploited to our advantage and implemented as an engineering design feature. We model these instabilities using mathematical and computational tools to develop a deeper understanding of their mechanics.
Our commonly used tools are nonlinear solid mechanics, continuum mechanics, variational calculus, and numerical analysis.
Publications
Selected publications
Liu, Z. , McBride, A. , Sharma, B. L., Steinmann, P. and Saxena, P. (2021) Coupled electro-elastic deformation and instabilities of a toroidal membrane. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 151, 104221. (doi: 10.1016/j.jmps.2020.104221)
Saxena, P. , Hossain, M. and Steinmann, P. (2014) Nonlinear magneto-viscoelasticity of transversally isotropic magneto-active polymers. Proceedings of the Royal Society of London Series A: Mathematical, Physical and Engineering Sciences, 470(2166), 20140082. (doi: 10.1098/rspa.2014.0082) (PMID:24914399) (PMCID:PMC4042725)
Saxena, P. , Reddy, N. H. and Pradhan, S. P. (2019) Magnetoelastic deformation of a circular membrane: wrinkling and limit point instabilities. International Journal of Non-Linear Mechanics, 116, pp. 250-261. (doi: 10.1016/j.ijnonlinmec.2019.07.006)
Saxena, P. , Pelteret, J.-P. and Steinmann, P. (2015) Modelling of iron-filled magneto-active polymers with a dispersed chain-like microstructure. European Journal of Mechanics - A/Solids, 50, pp. 132-151. (doi: 10.1016/j.euromechsol.2014.10.005)
Sharma, B. L. and Saxena, P. (2021) Variational principles of nonlinear magnetoelastostatics and their correspondences. Mathematics and Mechanics of Solids, 26(10), pp. 1424-1454. (doi: 10.1177/1081286520975808)
Saxena, P. and Ogden, R. (2011) On surfaces waves in a finitely deformed magnetoelastic half space. International Journal of Applied Mechanics, 3(4), pp. 633-665. (doi: 10.1142/S1758825111001172)
All publications
Grants
- "Extreme deformations of magneto- and electro-active membranes: A framework to model instabilities due to large multi-physics loads in thin structures" (Principal investigator)
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (2021-24) - "Development of a variational principle and stability analysis for coupled problems in nonlinear elasticity" (Principal Investigator)
Science and Engineering Research Board, India (2019) - "Analysis of instabilities under nonlinear deformation of membranes made of smart polymers" (Principal Investigator)
Science and Engineering Research Board, India (2018) - "Mathematical modelling and analysis of Magneto-active polymers" (Principal Investigator)
Science and Engineering Research Board, India (2015)
Supervision
A complete list of current and past students with their project details is available here.
Positions are open for motivated students to undertake their Masters, PhD or postdoctoral research. Interested candidates may email me with their CV and a brief statement of their research interests.
Present PhD opportunities can be seen on GCEC webpage. Electro-magneto-mechanical coupled problems and mechanics of soft biological tissues.
There are several ways to fund your studies, some of them are listed on this webpage.
Teaching
I am the convenor of projects for BEng students (ENG4110P) in the discipline of Civil Engineering.
I currently teach:
- ENG4025/ ENG5294: Finite Element Analysis
- ENG1026: Engineering Skills 1
- ENG1062: Dynamics 1
Previously, I have taught:
- ENG3047: Structural Mechanics 3
Before University of Glasgow, I have taught the following university level courses:
- Variational Methods in mechanics (PG)
- Continuum Mechanics (PG)
- Mathematical Methods for Engineers (PG)
- Scientific Communication Skills (PG)
- Solid Mechanics 1 (UG)
- Solid Mechanics Laboratory (UG)
Additionally, I organised and lectured in the summer school on "Nonlinear Electro- and magneto-mechanics" at the International Centre for Mechanical Sciences, Udine, Italy.
Professional activities & recognition
Prizes, awards & distinctions
- 2021: New Investigator Award (EPSRC)
Research fellowships
- 2015 - 2018: Ramanujan Fellowship, Science and Engineering Research Board (India)
Editorial boards
- Mathematics and Mechanics of Solids
Additional information
Positions are open for motivated students to undertake their Masters, PhD or postdoctoral research in the general area of mechanics of solids and structures. Interested candidates may email me with their CV and a brief statement of their research interests.
Fellowship Opportunities :
I am happy to support motivated candidates with their fellowship applications to work on topics in mechanics. Below is the list of some relevant possibilities. Feel free to contact me if you're interested:
- Lord Kelvin Adam Smith Fellowships
- Marie Curie Fellowships
- EPSRC Fellowships
- Royal Academy of Engineering Fellowships
- STFC Fellowships
- Scottish Enterprise/Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) Enterprise Fellowships
- Royal Society University Research Fellowships
- Royal Society Dorothy Hodgkin Fellowships
- Newton International Fellowships
- Ernest Rutherford Fellowships
- Fellowships supported by STFC
- The Leverhulme Trust Fellowships
- University of Glasgow Fellowship Schemes