Gonçalo Coutinho
I am a PhD student in Mechanical Engineering at IN+ Center for Innovation, Technology and Policy Research. I have a bachelor's and master's degree in Aerospace Engineering both from Instituto Superior Técnico. My research interests are in the field of experimental fluid mechanics, especially, non-intrusive flow diagnosis methods such as particle image and particle tracking velocimetry (PIV/PTV) applied to microfluidics and biological flows. In 2019, I joined the research team of the Institute of Fluid Mechanics (ISTM) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, where my interest on measurement science was developed. Such an experimental campaign, campaign introduced me to the underlying challenges of using PIV measurements in complex systems, while enhancing my persistence and problem-solving skills in a research environment. In January 2020, I joined IN+ research team to work with micro-PTV at the laboratory for micro-scale transport phenomena. This collaboration led me to my current position as a PhD student with focus on diagnosis methods for three-dimensional characterization of cardiovascular flows using defocus particle tracking (DPT): A project is being held in collaboration with the Alma Mater Studiorum of the University of Bologna. My work has addressed the fundamental aspects of DPT, thus providing me with the required maturity to apply the DPT method to the study of cardiovascular flows. In this sense, part of my work has been focused on the characterization of microcirculation phenomena and the flow in large arteries. In long term, my work is foreseen as a powerful, engineering tool that will aid the understanding of cardiovascular diseases: One of the largest causes of death globally. On the course of my PhD, I have presented my work on at an international conferences LXLASER22 and I am the first author of one journal publication on this field of research.
