Dr Daniele Vigolo PhD

• Fellow of Higher Education Academy, Postgraduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, University of Birmingham, 2018
• PhD in Radiation Science and Technology, Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2010
• MEng in Nuclear Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2006

Daniele received his Laurea (5-year Master course) in Nuclear Engineering at the Politecnico di Milano in 2006. At the same institution, in 2010, he got his Ph.D. in Radiation Science and Technology working on “Thermophoresis in complex fluids” under the supervision of Prof. Roberto Piazza. He investigated the behaviour of a colloidal suspension in a temperature gradient with optical methods (e.g., the beam deflection technique), and in microfluidic devices during his internship at Harvard University in the group of Prof. Howard A. Stone.

In 2011, he moved to Princeton University working as a Postdoctoral Research Associate in the Complex Fluids Group of Prof. Howard A. Stone. Here he worked on an experimental and theoretical fluid mechanical investigation of particle-wall impacts and air-bubble behaviour in a T-junction. He also developed a microfluidic microbial fuel cell and investigated the dependence of the electric output on the shear stress induced by the flow. In December 2012 he joined the group of Professor Andrew deMello at ETH Zürich after been awarded of the ETH Postdoctoral Fellowship (Marie Curie Actions).

Then in July 2015 he joined the School of Chemical Engineering at the University of Birmingham as a Lecturer (i.e. Assistant Professor) and in August 2019 he has been promoted to Senior Lecturer (i.e. Associate Professor).

Undergraduate Chemical Engineering Programme

• Multiphase Systems (20 credits), module coordinator
• Mass, Heat and Momentum Trans (20 credits)
• Introduction to Transport Phenomena (20 credits)

Postgraduate Taught Courses

• Colloids Chemistry and Rheology (10 credits)
• Process Engineering Fundamentals (10 credits)

Daniele is supervising several PhD students in the following areas:

• mechanism of formation of deep veins thrombosis;
• generation of biocompatible functional material by microfluidic manipulation of multiphase flows;
• study of rheological properties of foam and generation of nanobubbles via microfludics;
• encapsulation of microbes in double-emulsions generated by microfluidics and their thermal treatment in food applications;
• dynamics of surfactants during single droplet formation in microfluidics;
• the implementation of biosensors within contact lenses;
• microfluidic approach for microparticle formation of lignocellulosic extracts of plant material via antisolvent processing.

The Vigolo lab studies bio-fluid dynamics from a fundamental point of view and applied to health-related problems with the aim to predict and prevent the insurgence of diseases such as deep vein thrombosis. Additionally, Daniele is interested in understanding the behaviour of cells cultivated on biocompatible soft materials presenting custom stiffness pattern that we fabricated.

He is also interested in studying dynamics phenomena developing close to soft interfaces (e.g., liquid-liquid or close to elastic materials) and to understand their implication. To do so he exploits lab-on-a-chip devices with which he is able to precisely control the microenvironment conditions and to design and realize functionalised advanced biocompatible materials.