Marcello Lappa

Marcello Lappa is a Full Professor at the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering of the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow, UK. He serves as the Leader (main Programme Advisor of Studies) of the MSc courses in Mechanical Engineering and heads the James Weir Fluid Laboratory research team. Since 2021, he has been listed in Stanford University's 'World Ranking of Top 2% Scientists' database in the subfield Fluids & Plasmas.

Professor Lappa's research spans fluid mechanics, thermal sciences, and computational techniques with applications across multiple engineering disciplines. His work focuses on fluid motion and stability behavior, computational fluid dynamics, incompressible and compressible fluid flows, organic and inorganic materials sciences, crystal growth, multiphase flows, solidification, high-temperature gas dynamics, particle dynamics, and microgravity science. A significant portion of his research involves studying particle self-assembly phenomena in thermovibrational flows and their applications in space environments.

His publication record shows a clear progression toward space applications, particularly in microgravity environments. The most recent articles focus on particle accumulation structures under thermovibrational effects, lunar regolith manipulation, and hypersonic flow simulations for planetary entry. His work demonstrates a strong interdisciplinary approach, bridging fundamental fluid dynamics with practical space applications.

• World Ranking of Top 2% Scientists in Stanford University database
• Best Conference paper award (2021)
• ESA ISS Award (2008)

Professor Lappa has supervised numerous PhD students both currently and in the past, with several now working in prominent aerospace companies. He has secured over £2.5 million as Principal Investigator from diverse funding sources including EPSRC, STFC, UKSA, ESA, NMIS, and industrial entities. His research group at Strathclyde includes Research Associates and several PhD students working on cutting-edge fluid dynamics problems.

The James Weir Fluid Laboratory research team under Professor Lappa's leadership conducts experiments both on Earth and in space, including scientific experiments on board the International Space Station that have attracted attention from media outlets like THE TIMES and the BBC. The team's current focus includes developing novel techniques for particle manipulation in microgravity environments and studying fluid dynamics phenomena relevant to space exploration and materials processing.