Roger Lewis

Roger Lewis is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Sheffield, affiliated with the School of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering. He graduated from Sheffield in 1996 with an MEng and completed his PhD in the Tribology Research Group. His academic career progressed from Lecturer (2002) to Senior Lecturer (2006), Reader (2011), and finally a personal chair in 2013. In 2019, he was appointed a Royal Academy of Engineering Research Chair, co-funded by the Rail Safety and Standards Board, focusing on low adhesion management in wheel/rail interfaces.

• PhD in Tribology (University of Sheffield)
• MEng in Mechanical Engineering (University of Sheffield)

His research spans two domains: industrial wear solutions (railway wheel/rail tribology, friction modifiers, condition monitoring) and human tissue interactions (skin friction modeling, medical device interface analysis, slip/fall mechanics). He pioneered ultrasonic techniques for contact analysis and edited The Wheel/Rail Interface Handbook. Awards include the Tribology Trust Bronze Medal (2001), Brian Mercer Innovation Award (2003), and Donald Julius Groen Prize (2020).

Roger's recent publications (2025-2024) focus on railway wear mechanisms (corrosion interactions, Mn13/CrB1400 rail steels), particle entrainment modeling, and adhesion optimization via sanding. His work integrates experimental twin-disc testing, DEM/CFD simulations, and real-time monitoring of wheel/rail contacts.

Scientific Honors:

• Tribology Trust Bronze Medal (2001)
• Brian Mercer Award for Innovation (2003)
• Institute of Physics Innovation Prize (2008)
• Donald Julius Groen Prize (2020)
• Chartered Engineer and IMechE Fellow

Roger leads the Leonardo Tribology Centre and has developed laser cladding techniques for rail repair. His work on friction modifiers and adhesion management has direct applications in railway safety and efficiency.