Neil Wright

Neil T. Wright is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the College of Engineering, Michigan State University. His research focuses on heat transfer, thermophysical property measurement, parameter estimation, and thermal biology. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania (1992), M.S. from the University of Colorado (1986), and B.S. from Virginia Tech (1981). His work bridges engineering and biomedical sciences, with notable contributions to thermal conductivity of superconducting materials (e.g., niobium for SRF cavities) and thermal damage models in biological systems.

• Education:
• Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering & Applied Mechanics, University of Pennsylvania (1992)
• M.S., Mechanical Engineering, University of Colorado (1986)
• B.S., Engineering Science & Mechanics, Virginia Polytechnic Institute (1981)

His research interests include:

• Thermal properties of biomaterials and soft tissues
• Modeling heat-induced damage in cells and tissues
• Superconducting material fabrication and characterization
• Biomechanical systems and interstitial fluid dynamics in the brain

Publications span interdisciplinary topics like cryobiology, SRF cavity design, and neurodegenerative disease mechanisms. Awards include the ASME Fellowship (2018), Withrow Teaching Award (2015), and Whitaker Biomedical Research Award (1996).

He advises multiple collaborative projects on thermal engineering and biomedical applications, with active grants focusing on material science and biophysics. Lab activities involve advanced thermal measurement techniques and computational modeling.