Organisers

Organising Committee

This workshop is organised Dr Gustavo Quino from Imperial College London and Dr Carlos Fuentes from Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology.

Organisers

Dr Gustavo Quino

Assistant Professor in Structural Analysis and Materials
Imperial College London

Dr Gustavo Quino is an Assistant Professor in Structural Analysis and Materials at Imperial College London. He obtained a first-class degree in Mechanical Engineering from Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, followed by a master’s degree from King Abdullah University of Science and Technology. He later completed a DPhil in Engineering Science at the University of Oxford, where his doctoral research focused on the effects of harsh environments and dynamic loads on the mechanical performance of fibre composites.

Before joining Imperial, he was a Senior Research Associate at the Bristol Composites Institute, one of the largest composites research centres in the world. His research interests include mechanical characterisation, polymers, composites, experimental mechanics, impact, digital image correlation, instrumentation, and micromechanical modelling.

Dr Carlos Fuentes Rojas

Senior Lead Scientist
Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST)

Dr Carlos Fuentes Rojas is a leading researcher in bio-inspired complex materials at the Luxembourg Institute of Science and Technology (LIST), where he specialises in hierarchical interfaces, smart composites, and sustainable technologies. Inspired by nature’s intricate designs, his research focuses on developing high-performance bio-based materials with tailored interfacial properties.

He began his academic journey in Peru, studying Heavy Equipment Technology at TECSUP and Mechanical Engineering at the Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú (PUCP). His early work on natural fibre composites led to the design of custom equipment for producing low-cost housing panels and to the development of a patented chitosan-based interface treatment, marking an important early contribution to green material technologies.

He later pursued doctoral studies at KU Leuven, supported by both the prestigious Fulbright scholarship and the SBA KU Leuven scholarship. His PhD research introduced pioneering methods for studying and controlling interfacial adhesion in fibrous composites, including innovations in wetting analysis, mechanical characterisation, and adhesion strength estimation. As a senior researcher at KU Leuven, he further advanced interfacial science through the development of novel techniques for measuring contact angles, analysing liquid interactions with complex fibre architectures, and assessing interfacial shear strength in composite materials.

Since joining LIST in 2021, Dr Fuentes Rojas has led major efforts in bio-inspired material development and has secured more than €9 million in funding as Principal Investigator for major European projects including BioCel3D, BioInter, and BafCom, as well as projects focused on sustainable composite materials for the automotive sector. He has published 37 peer-reviewed articles, presented at over 60 international conferences, supervises a multidisciplinary research team, and holds five patents related to sustainable material innovation.

Contact

For enquiries about the workshop, please contact Dr Quino.