Patrick Heimbach

Patrick Heimbach is a Professor at the University of Texas at Austin, holding the W. A. 'Tex' Moncrief, Jr. Endowed Chair in Simulation-Based Engineering and Sciences. He is affiliated with the Department of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Jackson School of Geosciences, and leads the Computational Research in Ice and Ocean Systems (CRIOS) group at the Oden Institute. Previously, he worked at MIT as a Senior Research Scientist and Visiting Associate Professor. He earned his Ph.D. from the Max-Planck-Institute for Meteorology and the University of Hamburg in 1998, focusing on ocean surface wave remote sensing.

His research integrates computational methods with climate science, specializing in ocean circulation, sea level change, and cryosphere dynamics. Key projects include the ECCO consortium for global ocean reanalysis and ASTE for Arctic climate studies. He also develops computational tools like MITgcm-AD and SICOPOLIS-AD, leveraging adjoint modeling and machine learning.

Professional roles include serving on the U.S. National Academy of Sciences’ Ocean Studies Board, NSF Advisory Committees, and international initiatives like Deep Ocean Observing Strategy (DOOS). Awards include the Moncrief Endowed Chair. His group is funded by NASA, NSF, and ONR, focusing on ocean modeling, ice-sheet interactions, and uncertainty quantification.

He advises graduate students and teaches courses in oceanography and geophysical fluid dynamics. Notable contributions include advancing observational strategies and computational frameworks for understanding Earth's climate system.