Paras Kumar

Dr. Paras Kumar is a Research Fellow at the Chair of Engineering Mechanics (LTM) within the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU). His research focuses on computational mechanics with particular expertise in fracture mechanics of soft materials and polymer composites. He maintains an active research program with significant funding from European and German research agencies.

Dr. Kumar's research interests span computational mechanics, fracture mechanics, soft materials, polymer composites, configurational mechanics, and phase-field modeling. His work bridges theoretical developments with computational implementations and experimental validation. He has developed innovative approaches for modeling fracture in materials undergoing large deformations, with applications in soft robotics, stretchable electronics, and tissue engineering.

His current research portfolio includes two major projects: 'Configurational Mechanics of Soft Materials: Revolutionising Geometrically Nonlinear Fracture' (2023-2027), funded by the European Union with a 5-year grant, and 'Fracture in Polymer Composites: Meso to Macro' (2019-2027), part of the DFG-funded FRASCAL collaborative research center. These projects address fundamental challenges in modeling fracture mechanics for soft materials and polymer composites, combining theoretical, computational, and experimental approaches.

Dr. Kumar's publication record demonstrates a strong trajectory of scholarly contributions in computational mechanics, with recent publications focusing on phase-field fracture modeling, computational homogenization, and numerical methods for materials with complex microstructures. His work shows increasing sophistication in handling geometrically nonlinear problems and multiscale material behavior.