James Campbell

Dr James Campbell is a Reader in Structural Integrity at Brunel University London's Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering within the College of Engineering, Design and Physical Sciences. With a PhD in hypervelocity impact on spacecraft and 20+ years of experience leading multidisciplinary projects, he specializes in non-linear numerical methods (FE and SPH), structural integrity, and impact analysis across aerospace, defense, and automotive sectors.

• BEng in Aeronautical Engineering, Imperial College London
• MSc and PhD in Astronautics and Space Engineering, Cranfield University

His research focuses on:

• Transient response of materials/structures (e.g., space debris impact, aircraft crashworthiness)
• Meshless methods like Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH)
• Constitutive models for isotropic/orthotropic materials
• Fluid-structure interaction in ditching and extreme wave events

Recent work trends include space debris removal tools, composite material development for offshore energy, and advanced SPH algorithms for impact simulations. Awards include the Derek George Astridge Safety in Aerospace Award (2009) and Royal Institute of Naval Architects Medal (2010). He supervises PhD/MSc students and delivers CPD courses for industry (Boeing, Leonardo). Research group: IMM (International Marine and Offshore). Collaborations include Airbus, DLR, and ESA.