Mehdi Khatamifar

Dr Mehdi Khatamifar is a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at James Cook University. His research focuses on the integration of computational fluid dynamics (CFD), finite element modelling (FEM), heat transfer, structural mechanics, and physics-informed artificial intelligence to solve practical engineering problems for industry and society.

His work aims to develop fast, reliable and explainable engineering models, including CFD/FEM-based surrogate models, reduced-order models, and digital twins for design optimisation, control and decision support.

Dr Khatamifar’s current research interests include:

• Physics-informed AI for mechanical engineering applications
• CFD and AI-based modelling of ventilation, HVAC and industrial airflow systems
• Mine ventilation, intelligent louvre control, dust, heat and humidity management
• FEM and AI modelling of structures under impact, vibration, wind, cyclone and extreme loading
• Defence-related engineering, including protective structures, blast/impact response and vibration isolation
• Thermal management of batteries, electronics, renewable energy and process systems
• Smart engineering solutions for agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture, horticulture and food storage
• Digital twins and simulation-based tools for industry decision-making

He welcomes collaboration with industry partners seeking practical solutions in ventilation, process optimisation, structural safety, thermal management, energy efficiency, mining, defence, agriculture and tropical infrastructure.

Dr Khatamifar is also interested in supervising Honours, MPhil and PhD students with backgrounds in mechanical engineering, civil engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, data science, applied mathematics or related fields. Potential student projects include physics-informed AI, CFD/FEM surrogate modelling, intelligent ventilation control, structural resilience, battery thermal management, defence engineering, and engineering applications in agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and horticulture.

For Prospective PhD and MPhil Students

I welcome enquiries from motivated students interested in applied mechanical engineering research, particularly in CFD, FEM, physics-informed artificial intelligence, digital twins, ventilation, thermal management, structural safety, defence engineering, mining, agriculture, fisheries, aquaculture and horticulture engineering.

If you are an Australian or New Zealand citizen, or an Australian permanent resident, you may be eligible to apply for a Research Training Program Scholarship (RTPS) or other JCU higher degree by research scholarships.

If you are an international student, you may be eligible to apply for an International Research Training Program Scholarship (IRTPS) or other JCU higher degree by research scholarships.

If you are a Chinese citizen or permanent resident and are interested in applying for a PhD or visiting scholarship through the China Scholarship Council (CSC), please contact me to discuss a suitable research topic and supervision arrangement.

If you already have a scholarship from your home country, government, university or employer, and you are interested in completing a PhD in Australia or spending several months at JCU as a visiting research student, please contact me directly.

When contacting me, please include your CV, academic transcripts, a short research interest statement, evidence of English language proficiency if applicable, and any publications, thesis, technical reports or project examples. Prospective students should also review the latest JCU Higher Degree by Research application process, entry requirements, scholarship information and application deadlines through the JCU Graduate Research School.