DC1 – Nicolò Antonelli
In this GECKO PhD pitch, Nicolò Antonelli presents an advanced computational framework that combines the Shifted Boundary Method (SBM) with Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) to efficiently simulate complex fluid dynamics problems without costly remeshing. His research shows that while IGA delivers excellent accuracy for smooth solutions—even in non-Newtonian fluids—its performance can degrade when dealing with sharp material transitions, highlighting the need for adaptive strategies. The work also demonstrates strong potential for handling complex 3D geometries and moving boundaries, making it highly relevant for real-world engineering applications.
DC3 – Andrea Gorgi
In this GECKO PhD pitch, Andrea Gorgi introduces an advanced approach to simulating contact mechanics by combining the Shifted Boundary Method (SBM) with Isogeometric Analysis (IGA). His work addresses the high computational cost of traditional mesh refinement near contact regions, showing how SBM enables accurate results using simpler meshes while maintaining stability and convergence. The research demonstrates strong performance in both 2D and 3D problems, including complex geometries and contact scenarios, though challenges remain for higher-order basis functions—highlighting ongoing developments to further improve efficiency and accuracy in large-deformation simulations.
DC4 – Juan Ignacio Camarotti
In this GECKO PhD pitch, Juan Ignacio Camarotti explores robust co-simulation strategies for aerospace applications, focusing on coupling multiple physics domains like fluid–structure interaction using Isogeometric Analysis (IGA). He highlights how co-simulation enables independent solvers of varying fidelity to work together efficiently, addressing key challenges such as data exchange, mapping between non-matching meshes, and handling complex CAD-based geometries. His research shows that alternative mapping techniques, like radial basis functions, can significantly reduce computational cost while maintaining accuracy—paving the way for faster, scalable simulations in aircraft design.
DC5 – Maram Alkhlaifat
DC6 – Lucas Venta Viñuela
In this GECKO PhD pitch, Lucas Venta Viñuela presents his work on adaptive isogeometric phase-field modeling for simulating evolving interfaces, such as those found in fluid separation problems. Using the Cahn–Hilliard equation, he develops a framework that combines high-continuity IGA methods with adaptive refinement techniques, allowing computational effort to focus only where it’s needed—along complex, moving interfaces—while keeping other regions coarse. His results show that this approach maintains accuracy while significantly reducing computational cost, offering a powerful tool for efficiently solving high-dimensional, interface-driven engineering problems.
DC7 – Angelos Pagonas
In this GECKO PhD pitch, Angelos Pagonas explores advances in immersed isogeometric analysis for structural dynamics, focusing on improving stability and efficiency in simulations with complex geometries. His research highlights a key trade-off: while mass lumping helps stabilize simulations and allows larger time steps, it significantly reduces accuracy. By analyzing both simple and more realistic geometries, he shows that traditional indicators like element mass are insufficient to detect numerical issues, emphasizing the need for smarter, locally aware strategies to balance stability, accuracy, and computational cost in dynamic simulations.
DC8 – Doğuhan Nurı Kılıçarslan
In this GECKO PhD pitch, Doğuhan Kılıçarslan presents his latest progress on efficient transient acoustic simulations in unbounded domains, focusing on boundary element methods combined with advanced reduction techniques. He tackles the high computational cost of time-domain simulations by introducing a series expansion and truncation strategy that significantly reduces memory and computation while maintaining accuracy. The work also highlights challenges such as numerical damping, scaling issues, and integration with IGA workflows, outlining future steps toward faster, CAD-integrated acoustic simulations for real-world engineering problems.
DC9 – Philip Le
In this GECKO PhD pitch, Philip Le presents an efficient approach to acoustic simulations using isogeometric boundary element methods (IGA-BEM) enhanced by model order reduction techniques. His work tackles the high computational cost of frequency sweep analyses by introducing a two-step reduction strategy that dramatically decreases system size while preserving accuracy. The results show significant speed-ups in both computation and memory usage, making large-scale acoustic simulations—such as industrial applications like car components—far more efficient and practical.
DC10 – Wei Li
In this GECKO PhD pitch, Wei Li presents the application of Isogeometric Analysis (IGA) to accurately simulate Hertzian contact mechanics in machine elements. By leveraging local refinement techniques and penalty-based contact modeling, the research achieves highly precise predictions of contact pressure—closely matching analytical solutions and benchmark FEM results—while reducing computational cost. The work also extends to complex 3D geometries, demonstrating IGA’s strong potential for realistic engineering applications such as gear contact analysis and advanced mechanical system design.