Rob Poole

Professor Rob Poole holds the Harrison Chair in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Liverpool’s School of Engineering, part of the Faculty of Science and Engineering. Previously Head of Department (2017–2021), he co-edits the Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics. His research focuses on rheology, fluid mechanics, and turbulence, with recent work on polymeric drag reduction, superhydrophobic surfaces, and viscoelastic instabilities.

Education: BEng (Hons) and PhD in Mechanical/Aerospace Engineering.

Research Interests:

• Non-Newtonian fluid mechanics
• Elastic turbulence and viscoelastic instabilities
• Polymer solutions and additive effects
• Heat transfer in porous media
• Constitutive equation development

Awards & Fellowships:

• EPSRC Complex Fluids and Rheology Fellowship (2015–2021)
• British Society of Rheology Annual Award (2018)
• 2015 Best Paper Award (Theoretical and Applied Mechanics Letters)

Grants & Projects:

• Funded projects include Flexible Heat Pump development (£1.5M), Instabilities in Complex Fluid Flows (£1.2M), and Superhydrophobic Surface Drag Reduction (£0.8M)
• Industry collaborations: Schlumberger, Procter & Gamble, National Nuclear Laboratory

Professional Activities:

• Editorial roles: Journal of Non-Newtonian Fluid Mechanics (Co-Editor-in-Chief), Physics of Fluids
• External examiner at Warwick, Strathclyde, and multiple Indian Institutes of Technology