Mark Thompson

Professor Mark Thompson is a distinguished academic in the Department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering at Monash University, Faculty of Engineering. He holds the rank of Professor and has been a key figure in fluid dynamics research and academic leadership since joining Monash in 1995. He previously worked at CSIRO for ten years and earned his PhD from Monash in 1985. He has served as Associate Dean of Research Training (2003–2007) and Head of Department (2008–2011).

Research interests include theoretical, computational, and experimental fluid dynamics, with focus on flow stability, transition to turbulence, bluff body flows, wake dynamics, flow-induced vibration, aeroacoustics, and applications in bioengineering, turbomachinery, vehicle aerodynamics, and sports. His work contributes to sustainable engineering and aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goals.

The recent publications highlight a consistent focus on complex fluid-structure interactions, bluff body aerodynamics, and computational/experimental modeling. Key themes include wake transitions, vortex instabilities, flow control via afterbody design, and environmental and industrial applications such as wind comfort and heat transfer. His research combines high-fidelity simulations with wind tunnel and water channel experiments.

Scientific awards:

• Faculty Research Award (2015)
• Fellow of the Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society (2018)

Advising and grants: Professor Thompson is currently accepting PhD students and has supervised numerous research projects. He has led multiple externally funded research initiatives, including ARC-funded projects on flapping aerodynamics and fluid-structure interactions. His consulting experience includes collaborations with AMIRA, CRA, and Ford Europe. He has also contributed to editorial boards of the International Journal of Fluid Dynamics and an Elsevier journal.

Labs and teams: He is a core member of a multidisciplinary research group at Monash focusing on fluid dynamics, collaborating closely with Professors Hourigan, Sheridan, and Lo Jacono. The team operates advanced experimental facilities including wind tunnels and water channels, and develops custom CFD codes for simulating complex flows.