Stavroula Balabani

Stavroula Balabani is Professor of Fluid Mechanics at the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University College London (UCL). Her research spans experimental fluid mechanics, biofluids, and microfluidics with applications in healthcare, energy, and manufacturing. She leads an experimental group studying fluid-structure interactions, cardiovascular flows, and microscale technologies for diagnostics and drug delivery.

• Chemical Engineering Degree, National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)
• PhD in Fluid Mechanics, King’s College London

Her research focuses on:

• Advanced laser diagnostics for microscale and macroscale transport phenomena
• Haemodynamics in vascular pathologies (arteriovenous grafts, aortic dissections)
• Microfluidic modeling of red blood cell behavior and aggregation
• Elastoinertial instabilities in Taylor-Couette flows
• Development of reduced-order models for personalized haemodynamic simulations
• Innovative vortex reactors and flow separation dynamics

Recent publications demonstrate her interdisciplinary work combining:

• Patient-specific CFD simulations validated via MRI
• Machine learning-enhanced hemodynamic predictions
• Microfluidic platforms for medical diagnostics
• Experimental characterization of complex fluid instabilities

Scientific Leadership:

• EPSRC College member
• IChemE Fellow
• ASME Journal Associate Editor

Her research has been funded by EPSRC, EU programs, and Innovate UK. She collaborates with clinicians and engineers to translate fluid mechanics insights into healthcare solutions.