My research work is oriented towards the understanding, modeling and optimization of the mechanical response of engineering materials. Particular topics of special interest are (a) the development of new formulations to extend plasticity theory to small scales, (b) predictive modeling of hydrogen assisted cracking, (c) mechanics of functionally graded materials and (d) the role of plastic strain gradients on crack tip mechanics.

My research stays in several universities and research institutions worldwide have given me the opportunity to establish numerous international collaborations and to learn from very bright scientists. These include Profs Covadonga Betegón (University of Oviedo), Christian Niordson (Technical University of Denmark), Stéphane Bordas (University of Luxembourg), Lorenzo Bardella (University of Brescia), Rafael Gallego (University of Granada), Norman Fleck (University of Cambridge), Vikram Deshpande (University of Cambridge), and Richard Gangloff (University of Virginia), among others; their valuable advice cannot be acknowledged enough.