Liang Cui

Dr. Liang Cui is an Associate Professor at the University of Surrey, affiliated with the School of Sustainability, Civil and Environmental Engineering and Institute for Sustainability. With a PhD from University College Dublin (2006) and BE (1st honor) from Tsinghua University (2002), his career spans geotechnical research and education since joining Surrey in 2009.

• Key roles: Undergraduate Programme Leader (2020-2022, 2023-on), MSc Programme Leader for Advanced Geotechnical/Civil/Structural Engineering (2022-2023)
• Professional memberships: Chartered Engineer (CEng), Member of Institution of Civil Engineers (MICE), Fellow of Higher Education Academy (FHEA)

His primary research focuses on numerical modeling (DEM/FEM) for geotechnical applications including offshore wind foundations, geothermal energy systems, methane hydrate exploitation, and extra-terrestrial soil mechanics. Secondary interests involve material characterization of polymeric foams, porous media, and biological tissues.

Recent 15 publications (2023-2025) demonstrate expertise in soil-structure interaction for renewable energy infrastructure, thermal feedback in groundwater heat pumps, and hypothesis-driven DEM simulations for lunar/martian environments. Collaborative projects span institutions including Tsinghua University, University of Bristol, and Indian Institute of Technology Bhubaneswar.

• Scientific Awards:
• Sustainability Fellow (University of Surrey, 2023)
• Chartered Engineer (CEng) and MICE
• FHEA for educational contributions

Dr. Cui supervises 7 postgraduate researchers and contributes to teaching modules in soil mechanics and energy geotechnics. His work addresses challenges in hybrid marine energy systems, needleless drug delivery, and seismic resilience of critical infrastructure.