Speakers: PhD Candidate, Pouya Rajaee, Prof Zhiyong Li and Dr Zach Welsh
In this session, we welcomed the speakers, PhD Candidate, Pouya Rajaee, Prof Zhiyong Li and Dr Zach Welsh.
Prof Li talked about the QUT Cardiovascular Technology Laboratory. Dr Welsh, one of our Early Career Researchers, shared his experiences on how to connect with industry, and PhD student, Pouya Rajaee, talked about his research on Bioinspired scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. We also announced CBT’s HDR of the Month for August 2025.
Congratulations, Moti Hosseini PhD Candidate, on receiving the August Outstanding HDR Award.
Moti was nominated by Dr Flávia Medeiros Savi.
More information about the speakers:
Prof Zhiyong Li, Current Research Progress in QUT Cardiovascular Technology Laboratory
Professor Zhiyong Li is a Professor in Biomedical Engineering at QUT. He has a PhD (2004) in Biomedical Engineering from Queen Mary University of London. He was a research fellow and senior research fellow at University of Cambridge 2004-2010. He was elected Fellow of Wolfson College and conferred a MA (2009) from University of Cambridge. The main focus of his work has been the development of novel technologies to quantify blood flow and vessel characteristics to better prevent stroke and heart attack. His expertise includes medical imaging and image analysis, computational fluid dynamics, mathematical modelling and numerical methods. He has made significant contributions to the field with over 300 publications in high-quality journals. His main research areas include: Biomechanics/Mechanobiology; Atherosclerosis/Aneurysm/Thrombosis/Atrial Fibrillation; Mathematical Modelling and Computational Simulation; Medical Imaging; Tissue Growth, Angiogenesis and Microcirculation; Theoretical Biology/Mathematical Biology
Dr Zach Welsh, ECRs connecting with industry
Zach is an early career researcher working in the School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering at QUT. He completed his PhD in 2021 with a focus on a multiscale approach to moisture diffusivity for drying plant-based food material. He specialises in heat and mass transfer, computational fluid dynamics, thermodynamics, multiscale modelling, and computational modelling. To date, he has authored 20 refereed publications, comprising 16 peer-reviewed journal articles, 1 book chapter, and 3 conference proceedings. Zach’s research has attracted over 490 citations, with an h-index of 11 and an average Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) of 2.13. He is currently researching the multiscale nature of plant-based food material during thermal processing and is working with an industry partner on a mixing plant-based milks.
Pouya Rajaee, PhD Candidate, Bioinspired scaffolds for bone tissue engineering
Pouya Rajaee is a PhD candidate at QUT, where his research focuses on the development of bioinspired scaffolds for bone tissue engineering. He is passionate about integrating advanced materials with innovative structural design to engineer physical microenvironments that support and enhance bone regeneration. Pouya holds a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering with a specialization in composite materials. Since 2019, he has served as an academic advisor for several Master’s projects involving composite materials for environmental and biomedical applications. His research has led to over 20 publications in high-impact journals, including Composites Part B: Engineering, Chemical Engineering Journal, and Additive Manufacturing. Outside of his research, Pouya serves as the health and safety officer for the Science and Engineering Faculties (SEF) HDR Student Society at QUT, where he helps foster a safe and supportive environment for HDRs.