Our staff
Academic Director - Professor Gwenaelle Proust
Professor Gwenaelle Proust's research aims to understand the relationships between material properties and their microstructure, with the goal of enhancing material performance for increased energy efficiency and the development of safer, more effective devices. Her research endeavours encompass investigating and modelling both material manufacturing processes and the mechanisms of mechanical deformation.
She investigates the impact of mechanical deformation on the microstructure evolution of metals, aiming to comprehend the effects of complex loading paths on the mechanical behaviour of materials. She leads projects dedicated to exploring various methods of recycling waste or by-products from manufacturing to promote sustainability in the manufacturing process. The experimental part of her work employs manufacturing methods like additive manufacturing, along with microstructure characterisation techniques such as optical microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and electron backscatter diffraction.
Professor Proust is an academic at the School of Civil Engineering in the Faculty of Engineering.
Chief Engineer - Bruce McLean
Bruce McLean is a professional engineer with more than 30 years of experience in the aerospace and aviation industry. He has diverse experience in technical operations, maintenance, manufacturing, technology development and Additive Manufacturing (AM). For the past 15 years, Bruce has focused on Additive Manufacturing, specifically metal powder bed AM.
Previously, Bruce worked as a specialist advisor to The Barnes Group, an international AM consultancy firm based in the United States. In 2014, he co-founded Zenith Tecnica in Auckland, an AM start-up company using Electron Beam Melting technology for real-world AM applications in areas such as Formula 1, Americas Cup Yachting, satellites, rocket engine components, and many implantable and prosthetic medical and veterinary devices.
As Chief Engineer, Bruce is responsible for overseeing and managing the technical operations of the Sydney Manufacturing Hub at the University of Sydney.
Operations Manager – Christina Chaaya
Christina has extensive experience in operations, events, and facilities management across multiple industries. She is passionate about improving operational efficiency and developing capability.
As Operations Manager, Christina's role is to oversee and manage the overall operations of the Sydney Manufacturing Hub at the University of Sydney. She is responsible for budget management, strategic planning, and all business and administrative tasks.
Administration Officer – Patrick Kelly
Patrick has a background in administrative support, with experience in various positions at the University of Sydney. At the Sydney Manufacturing Hub, his responsibilities include providing administrative support to staff and ensuring the smooth operation of the office.
Senior Staff Engineer - Katja Eder
Katja is responsible for providing support and training to clients related to our 3D printing, melting/casting, and thermal processes. She is a materials processing specialist with extensive research experience in working across a wide variety of materials. Katja has a deep understanding of the microstructural response of metals and ceramics to different processing treatments and is an expert in microstructural design and characterisation.
She completed her PhD from the University of Sydney in 2018 and has been working in the additive space since 2019.
Senior Staff Engineer - Mehdi Eizadjou
Mehdi is a materials scientist with over 20 years of experience in physical metallurgy, microstructure-properties relationship, thermo-mechanical processes, and severe plastic deformation (SPD). He has been a lead research engineer on numerous industry-based R&D projects, including ultrasonic welding, failure analysis of gas turbines, and metal injection molding (MIM), before he began pursuing his PhD.
He obtained his PhD from the University of Sydney in 2017 on the design of the thermomechanical processing and materials chemistry for a new advanced high-strength steel (AHSS). Between 2017 and 2020, Mehdi worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Sydney and has been working in the additive manufacturing area since 2018.
Mehdi’s role involves offering support and training to users for our 3D printing, melting/casting, thermal processes, and thermo-mechanical analysis facilities.
Senior Staff Engineer - Wen Hao Kan
Wen Hao has been involved with metal additive manufacturing since 2018. In his previous roles, he was a part of an engineering team that designed and additively-manufactured weight-reduced titanium aircraft components for various aviation companies. He also provided advice towards process qualification. He has conducted extensive metal additive manufacturing research in the areas of hybrid manufacturing, on the understanding of how defects influence mechanical performance, and on the processing new titanium alloys. Wen Hao received his PhD from the University of Sydney in 2018 for developing cast stainless steels that have been designed for mining and mineral processing applications with Weir Minerals Australia Ltd.
Staff Engineer - Patrick McCarthy
As Staff Engineer, Patrick brings a decade of professional experience in design and precision manufacturing to our team. With a background in industrial design and rapid prototyping, he has successfully collaborated with a diverse range of local and international companies, government bodies, and university research projects.
Patrick specialises in programming and operating CNC machinery, CAD modelling, mechanical design engineering, and building industrial design concept prototypes. He is passionate about advanced design technologies and using precision engineering techniques to manufacture components to fine tolerances.
Patrick has worked at the University of Sydney since 2019 where he has supported research projects in aerospace, biomedical, and mechanical engineering.
Senior Additive Manufacturing Design Engineer – Daniel Connell
Daniel has an industrial design and project management background, having worked on projects such as injection moulded medical devices, mail delivery buggies, commercial furniture, automated teller machines, helicopter simulators, public artworks, and award-winning playgrounds.
He is passionate about good design and Australian manufacturing. Speak with him about computational design and transforming your idea from concept to reality.
Senior Engineer Supervisor – Marc Purslow
Marc is a Welding Engineer with extensive expertise in advanced manufacturing including high-productivity and high-speed arc welding as well as large-scale additive manufacturing techniques. Marc has developed numerous processes and procedures that have been implemented by clients in various industries, such as aerospace, shipbuilding, rail, and heavy fabrication.
Marc is passionate about helping researchers and industry clients solve big manufacturing challenges using innovative techniques and novel approaches. He enjoys solving difficult problems through out-of-the-box thinking and he is committed to using his extensive industry experience to make a significant impact on the advancement of manufacturing technology in Australia.
As Senior Engineer Supervisor, Marc will oversee and manage the technical operations of SMH’s new large-scale and solid-state AM node upon its completion in late 2024.
Senior Project Officer – Darpan Shidid
Dr Darpan Shidid is a regulatory and technical expert in the field of Additive Manufacturing of medical devices. Darpan most recently served as a Senior Engineer at the Therapeutic Goods Administration where he performed several functions as a technical specialist including design examination of several high-risk medical devices, stakeholder engagement and education and developing assessment strategies for AM Personalised Devices and Therapeutic Vaping Devices. Prior to working at the TGA, Darpan worked at RMIT University as a Research Fellow on the Stryker-IMCRC project validating his PhD research on design and Additive Manufacturing of lattice-based patient-specific implants for orthopaedic oncology.
As a Senior Project Officer, Darpan is responsible for developing operational, stakeholder engagement and regulatory strategy for the Biomedical Additive Manufacturing facility which will be an integral part of the Sydney Biomedical Accelerator project.