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Professor Brian G. Falzon FRAeS

School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Brian Falzon

Professor Brian G. Falzon FRAeS

School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Prof Falzon is the Director of the Advanced Composites Research Group undertaking research in a number of related research areas, including advanced computational modelling, multifunctional composites, nano-enhanced composites, auxetic composite structures for impact and blast resistance, crashworthiness, damage modelling, anti-icing/de-icing composite aerostructures, material characterisation, fracture mechanics, composite repair, lightning strike protection, buckling and postbuckling composite structures, manufacturing and processing of composites, sustainable composites, self-reinforced composites, structural health monitoring, and uncertainly quantification.

Contact info

  • View Academic Profile
  • b.falzon@qub.ac.uk
  • +44 (0)28 9097 5640
  • @brian_falzon

Research Interests

The Advanced Composites Research Group undertakes fundamental and applied research in a number of areas linked to composites technology. These include research programmes in computational modelling, manufacturing and processing, nano-enhanced multifunctional composites, and advanced composite aerostructures.

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Public outreach & key achievements

Membership of Thought Leadership Committees:

  • Member of the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) International Advisory Group (since 2019).
  • Member of the Northern Ireland MATRIX panel (since 2018).
  • Member of the Council of Mechanical Engineering Professors (since 2015)
  • Council member of ADS Northern Ireland (since 2014) Committee and Conference Chairs:
  • Chair of the 23rd International Conference on Composite Materials (ICCM23), Belfast, UK (2021)
  • Chair of the 1st European Conference on Crashworthiness of Composite Structures (ECCCS-1), Belfast, UK (2019)
  • Chair of the QUB VC’s appointed Sub-Group on Academic Standards and Career Progression (2017)
  • Chair and Organiser of the 19th Annual Sir Bernard Crossland Symposium and Workshop (2016)
  • Co-chair of the 2014 EU-US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, Seattle, USA (2014) 
  • Chair of the 15th Australian Aeronautical Conference (2013)
  • Co-chair of the 15th Australian International Aerospace Congress (2013)
  • Chairman of GARTEUR (Group of Aeronautical Research and Technology in Europe) Action Group AG 28 (2003-2005)

Editorial Boards:

  • Editorial board member of Advances in Aircraft and Spacecraft Science, An International Journal (since 2016)
  • Associate Editor for the Royal Aeronautical Society’s Aeronautical Journal (since 2013)
  • Editorial board member for Computational and experimental Methods in Structures, World Scientific Press (since 2008)
  • Member of the Editorial Board of the Applied Composites Materials Journal (since 2005)

Awards and Prizes:

  • Bronze Award (Paper Prize) from the Royal Aeronautical Society – 2019
  • Belfast Ambassador of the Year from Visit Belfast – 2018
  • EPSRC RISE (Recognising Inspirational Scientists and Engineers) Connector award – 2017
  • QUB Graduate School PGR Supervisory Excellence Award – 2016
  • Australian Leadership Award – 2009
  • Silver Award (Paper Prize) from the Royal Aeronautical Society – 2008
  • George Taylor Prize from the Royal Aeronautical Society – 2008
  • Foreign Commonwealth Office Global Opportunities Fund: UK-Japan Collaboration Award – 2006
  • International Aircraft Development Fund award (Japan) – 2004
  • Isaiah Berlin Israel Award – 2003
  • London Technology Network Business Fellowship – 2003/4
  • Euromech Fellowship – 1999
  • Graduates Golden Jubilee Research Prize for Aeronautics – 1994
  • Silver Medal at the Airshow Canada Symposium Design Competition – 1991
  • Science Foundation Scholarship for Physics – 1989
  • William and Jane Grahame Mechanical Engineering Prize – 1988

Selected Media/Press releases:

  • ‘Coronavirus Northern Ireland: Queen's Aerospace teams making NHS face shields’ Belfast Live, 2nd April 2020 https://www.belfastlive.co.uk/news/belfast-news/coronavirus-northern-ireland-queens-aerospace-18024313
  • JEC Composites No. 129 July – August 2019: Technology: inside the lab: ‘Advanced Composites Research Group – Queen’s University Belfast’ https://www.nxtbook.fr/newpress/jeccomposites/jcm1907_129/index.php
  • ADVANCE (The official publication of ADS) – anti-icing/de-icing device: https://www.adsadvance.co.uk/queen-s-researchers-develop-ice-build-up-prevention-solution-for-aircraft.html
  • Live QUB Facebook stream – anti-icing/de-icing device: https://www.facebook.com/QUBelfast/videos/1061089927404661/
  • ‘QUB crash test boffins making future transport safer’ The Belfast Telegraph, 1st February 2017. https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/business/news/qub-crash-test-boffins-making-future-transport-safer-35413136.html
  • ‘Queen’s Expert Leads International Study to Improve Safety of Carbon Fibre Aircraft and Vehicles’ Net Composites, 7th February 2017. https://netcomposites.com/news/queens-expert-leads-international-study-to-improve-safety-of-carbon-fibre-aircraft-and-vehicles/
  • ‘Lear Fan’ Appearance on the BBC’s The One Show, 15 May 2015.
  • ‘The Airbus A380 wing cracks: an engineer’s perspective’ The Conversation (www.theconversation.edu.au), 10 Feb 2012

Research students

Mr Apostolos Parmalas, "Optimisation of the injection method using nano-enhanced resins for the repair of composite structures" (2019-2022) - Greece.

Mr Massimiliano Russello, "Synthesis and Modelling of Multifunctional Hierarchical Thin-ply/CNTs/GNP Composites" (2018-2021) - Italy.

Mr Daniel Higgins, "Microstructure evolution of additive manufacturing parts and compatibility with co-blast coating technology" (2017-2020) - Northern Ireland.

Ms Belinda Joseph, "Metamaterials for improved crashworthiness" (2017-2020) - Northern Ireland.

Ms Clare Burnett , "Using auxetic materials as a core for sandwich structures under severe loading conditions (2017-2020) - Northern Ireland.

Mr Georg Graninger, "Nanocellulose as a cost effective additive to develop high performance composite materials" (2017-2020) - Austria.

Mr Suhail Attar, "Developing sustainable energy absorbing materials for transportation structures" (2017-2020) - Pakistan.

Ms Farzaneh Hassani, "Thermoplastic self-reinforced composites for energy absorbing applications" (2017-2020) - Iran.

Mr Luis Varandas, "High fidelity computational modelling of composite crushing" (2017-2020) - Portugal. 


Alumni: Where are they now

Ms Xudan Yao, "Anti-icing/de-icing of advanced composite aerostructures using carbon nanotubes" (2014-2018) - China. [Researcher at the Graphene Institute, University of Manchester]

Mr Haibao Liu, "Predicting impact damage and strength in composite aerostructures" (2014-2018) - China. [Researcher at Imperial College London]

Ms Emer McAleavy, "Analysis and design of thermoplastic composite structural joints (2014-2018) - Northern Ireland. [Researcher at Queen's University Belfast]

Mr Ravi Chitwan, "Lightning strike protection on advanced composite aerostructures using nanotechnology" (2014-2017) - India. [Manufacturing and Production Engineer, Marshall Aerospace and Defence]

Mr Tan Wei, "Modelling the crush response of thermoplastic composites" (2013-2016) - China. [Lecturer, Queen Mary University of London]

Mr Nelson Muthu, "Multiscale modelling of composite materials using meshless methods" (2011-2014) - India. [Assistant Professor, IIT Guwahati, India]

Mr Robert Pierce, "Process modelling of resin infused composite structures" (2011-2014) - Australia. [Lecturer, University of Nottingham, China Campus]


Discover More

  • Faculty of Engineering and Physical Science
  • School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
  • Northern Ireland Advanced Composites and Engineering (NIACE) Centre
  • Advanced Composites Research Group

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