People

Zhengmao Lu

Tenure-Track Assistant Professor
Email: [email protected]
Phone: +41 21 693 31 65
Office: MED 3 1526
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Zhengmao Lu joined the Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) as a Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering in February 2023. Previously, Zhengmao was a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. He received his Ph.D. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from MIT as well. At EPFL, Zhengmao leads the Energy Transport Advances Laboratory (η-Lab), aiming to obtain a deeper understanding of phase change phenomena and develop more sustainable energy and water technologies by optimizing interfacial transport.

Chiara Donini

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +41 21 693 73 96
Office: MED 0 1023

Chiara Donini has moved from Northern Italy’s Dolomites to Swiss Alps more than 25 years ago. She has been working at EPFL since then, first in IC then STI from 2004 on. She starts working part-time for η-Lab in February 2024. When she is not at the office, she will be at her piano practicing, trying to crack a new foreign language or wandering around the countryside.

Sk Rameez Iqbal

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +41 21 693 29 20
Office: MED 3 1626
Google Scholar, LinkedIn

Sk Rameez Iqbal joined η-Lab as a Postdoctoral Researcher in May 2023. Previously, Rameez was a Postdoctoral Research Scholar in the Laboratory of Multiphase Thermofluidics and Surface Nanoengineering at ETH Zurich, Switzerland. He received his M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology Madras (IIT Madras), Chennai, India. At η-Lab, Rameez would be primarily working on multiphase thermofluidics phenomena. Besides work, he enjoys travelling, cooking, and interacting with people from different parts of the world.

Gautier Rouaze

Email: [email protected]
Phone: +41 21 693 05 13
Office: MED 3 1626
Scopus, LinkedIn

Gautier Rouaze joined η-Lab as a Doctoral Student in July 2023. Prior to this, Gautier worked several years as a Thermal Research Engineer at JJ Cooling Innovation, a spinoff of the Laboratory of Heat and Mass Transfer at EPFL. He received his M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from EPFL and HES diploma from the HEPIA University of Applied Science in Geneva. At η-Lab, his research focus is on the application and optimization of passive cooling systems, harnessing and combining the principles of radiative and evaporative heat transfer. Outside the lab, Gautier immerses himself in cycling, bike travels, and the innovative realms of 3D printing and electronics, blending creativity with technology.

Igor Reshetnikov

Email: [email protected]
Office: MED 3 1626

Igor Reshetnikov joined η-Lab as a PhD student in May 2024. Over his eight-year career in academia, Igor was actively involved in numerous projects spanning the domains of nanooxide generation, super-resolution microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and Sum Frequency Scattering spectroscopy. He holds an MEng degree in Theoretical and Applied Optics from the Institut d’Optique Graduate School in France, as well as MSc degree in Biological Systems and Physical Concepts from Universite Paris-Saclay, and MSc degree in Physics of Atoms and Molecules from Novosibirsk State University in Russia. With a broad background and experience in physics and optics, Igor will establish the optical part of η-Lab at EPFL, investigate fundamental evaporation physics, and contribute to the optimization of passive cooling systems.

Wenbo Wang

Email: [email protected]
Office: MED 3 1023

Wenbo Wang joined η-Lab as a PhD student in July 2024. Before joining η-Lab, Wenbo earned his Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Tsinghua University. His research focuses on probing nanoscale bubbling phenomena with advanced metrologies, which will have potential applications in boiling and electrolysis systems. Wenbo also enjoys skiing, hiking, and cooking.

Takehiro Shiraishi

Email: [email protected]
Office: MED 3 1023

Takehiro Shiraishi joined η-Lab as a PhD student in August 2024. He holds both a M.S. and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Tokyo, Japan. His academic background lies in micro- and nanoscale fluid dynamics, with a particular emphasis on the behavior of liquid-gas interfaces. At η-Lab, his research centers on bubble nucleation, with applications in pool boiling and electrolysis, aiming to advance the understanding of heat and mass transfer processes at small scales.

Luca Magoni

Undergraduate Student

Email: [email protected]

Between June and September 2023, Luca Magoni worked in the η-Lab as an undergraduate researcher through the EPFL E3 program in the third year of his bachelor’s degree in physics engineering at the Polytechnic of Milan in Italy.

Mihraç Demir

Email: [email protected]

Mihraç Demir joined η-Lab as an undergraduate researcher through the EPFL E3 program in June 2024, motivated by a passion for research in energy efficiency, while in his third year of studying mechanical engineering at Koç University in Istanbul.

Francesco Minola

Email: [email protected]

Francesco Minola joined η-Lab as a summer intern in July 2024 through the EPFL E3 program. Driven by the desire to develop his knowledge of transport phenomena and computational modeling, Francesco holds a BSc in Chemical Engineering from Sapienza University of Rome. Outside of the lab, he likes playing football, running and hiking. Francesco also enjoys discussing current affairs.