Background
Pierre-Thomas (PT) Brun is Professor of Chemical Engineering at KU Leuven, where he is a member of the Soft Matter, Rheology and Technology (SMaRT) group. His research combines experiments and theory to understand the mechanics of soft materials, with a particular focus on fluid and elastic instabilities and their use in designing, fabricating, and actuating functional materials.
Brun studied Mechanical Engineering at École Polytechnique, earned a master’s degree in Advanced Chemical Engineering from the University of Cambridge, and received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering from Sorbonne University. Following postdoctoral research at EPFL, he held a research-focused instructor position at MIT before joining Princeton University, where he became Associate Professor with tenure. He subsequently moved to KU Leuven.
His honors include awards from the APS Gallery of Fluid Motion, including the Milton van Dyke Award, the NSF CAREER Award, the 2023 APS Division of Soft Matter (DSOFT) Early Career Award for Soft Matter Research, and a 2024 ERC Consolidator Grant. His research spans soft matter mechanics, fluid dynamics, pattern-forming instabilities, shape morphing, manufacturing, and soft robotics.
Title
The Versatility of Elastic Rods: From Mechanics to Functional Materials
Abstract
Soft and elongated materials are ubiquitous in nature and engineering. They make up complex entangled structures, e.g., bird nests, and actively functional units, e.g., the elephant trunk, but also help build mundane objects, e.g., textiles. In this talk, I will discuss how the nonlinear mechanics of elastic rods make them versatile and powerful building blocks for functional materials. I will discuss soft robotic applications, deployable structures, and new directions in the weaving and programming of woven and nonwoven materials.