Thomas Gibaud | Mechanics of Functional and Smart Structures | Best Researcher Award

Published on by Global Mechanics Awards

Dr. Thomas Gibaud | Mechanics of Functional and Smart Structures | Best Researcher Award

Research Director at Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique | France

Dr. Thomas Gibaud is a physicist specializing in soft condensed matter, with a research focus on the self-assembly, dynamics, and mechanical properties of complex colloidal and biomimetic systems. He completed his physics education in France, earning a Bachelor’s degree from Université du Mans and a Master’s degree from Université Pierre et Marie Curie, followed by the national teaching qualification Agrégation de Sciences Physiques. He received his Ph.D. in 2008 from the Université de Fribourg under Peter Schurtenberger and Anna Stradner, where he explored the interplay between phase separation and the glass transition in protein suspensions. After postdoctoral work at ENS de Lyon and Brandeis University, where he investigated yielding in gels and phage-based self-assembly, he joined CNRS as a researcher in 2012. He earned his Habilitation à Diriger des Recherches in 2018 and became Directeur de Recherche at ENS de Lyon in 2025. Dr. Thomas Gibaud has authored 53 peer-reviewed publications, including work in Nature, PNAS, Science Advances, and PRX, and currently holds an h-index of 24. His research combines rheology, scattering, ultrasound, and advanced microscopy to design and probe innovative soft materials. He is also deeply committed to scientific service, mentoring, and community-building within the soft-matter field.

Profile:  Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications:

Gibaud, T., Barry, E., Zakhary, M. J., Henglin, M., Ward, A., Yang, Y., Berciu, C., … (2012). Reconfigurable self-assembly through chiral control of interfacial tension. Nature, 481, 348.

Cardinaux, F., Gibaud, T., Stradner, A., & Schurtenberger, P. (2007). Interplay between spinodal decomposition and glass formation in proteins exhibiting short-range attractions. Physical Review Letters, 99(11), 118301.

Gibaud, T., Frelat, D., & Manneville, S. (2010). Heterogeneous yielding dynamics in a colloidal gel. Soft Matter, 6(15), 3482–3488.

Gogelein, C., Nagele, G., Tuinier, R., Gibaud, T., Stradner, A., & Schurtenberger, P. (2008). A simple patchy colloid model for the phase behavior of lysozyme dispersions. Journal of Chemical Physics, 8, 085102.

Gibaud, T., & Schurtenberger, P. (2009). A closer look at arrested spinodal decomposition in protein solutions. Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 21(32), 322201.

Rafael Silva | Mechanics of Functional and Smart Structures | Editorial Board Member

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Prof. Rafael Silva | Mechanics of Functional and Smart Structures | Editorial Board Member

Reseacher at Graduate Program in Mining, Metallurgy and Materials Engineering | Brazil

Prof. Rafael Silva is a Brazilian mining engineer, researcher, and academic whose professional and scholarly trajectory spans mineral engineering, rock mechanics, slope stability, open-pit mine design, and ornamental stone geomechanics, and he is affiliated with the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul as a doctoral researcher in the Postgraduate Program in Mining, Metallurgical and Materials Engineering, where he focuses on advancing analytical and applied methods for geotechnical safety and excavation stability; before joining the doctoral program, he completed a master’s degree in Mining Engineering at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco and further expanded his professional qualifications with specialization in Occupational Safety Engineering at Universidade Cândido Mendes, building a multidisciplinary foundation that bridges the technical, operational, and safety-driven dimensions of mining activity; his career integrates extensive academic preparation with significant industry experience, having worked in mineral processing, open-pit operations, geological mapping, quarry planning, and stability assessment at organizations such as Detex, Galvani Indústria Comércio e Serviço S.A., and Rio Minas Geologia Ltda, where he served in roles including process engineer and mining engineer, contributing to extraction planning, operational optimization, and applied geotechnics; transitioning fully into academia, he served as a substitute professor in Mining Engineering at the Universidade Federal de Pernambuco and later at the Instituto Federal da Bahia – Campus Brumado, where he taught, mentored students, supervised technical activities, and participated in curriculum development, eventually becoming an Adjunct Professor in the area of Materials Science and Technology at the Universidade Federal da Bahia; his research output includes contributions such as the open-access publication on the application of the limit equilibrium method to determine safety factors for ornamental rocks in Rem International Engineering Journal, reflecting his commitment to improving rock excavation reliability, geotechnical evaluation tools, and resource sustainability, and his academic and professional journey demonstrates a consistent dedication to geoscience-driven innovation, practical engineering solutions, and the advancement of safe, efficient, and sustainable mining practices within Brazil’s mineral sector.

Profile:  Scopus | Orcid 

Featured Publications:

Silva, R. F. e., Zingano, A. C., Lima, R. R., Franco, S. K. P., & Rodrigues, M. G. A. (2024). Application of the limit equilibrium method to determine the safety factor for ornamental rocks. REM – International Engineering Journal.

Silva, R. F. e., Zingano, A. C., Lima, R. R., da Silva, J. P., & Holanda, C. C. (2022). Influence of geomechanical analysis on the stability of ornamental rock slopes. Journal of South American Earth Sciences, Article 103859.

Silva, R. F. (2020). Aplicação dos métodos da conservação da energia mecânica e da quantidade de movimento para lavra de rocha ornamental com nível de referência plano. Tecnologia em Metalurgia, Materiais e Mineração.

Silva, R. F. (2019a). Avaliação comparativa de método de extração de bancadas altas e ultra-altas, no Estado do Espírito Santo. Tecnologia em Metalurgia, Materiais e Mineração.

Silva, R. F. (2019b). Modelo de dimensionamento de cama de amortecimento para rocha ornamental. Tecnologia em Metalurgia, Materiais e Mineração.