Research Overview

Professor Mohamed Saafi is a Full Professor and Chair at Lancaster University, where he leads the Zero-Carbon Built Environment with Integrated Sustainable Energy Technologies (BEST) research group. At the forefront of pioneering innovative solutions, BEST is dedicated to shaping a renewable and zero-carbon future.

Professor Saafi's research spans cutting-edge, multidisciplinary areas, including materials science, computing, energy harvesting and storage, artificial intelligence, and structural health monitoring. His commitment to sustainable, resilient, and smart built environments is evident in the breadth of his work.

In the realm of materials science, Professor Saafi is engaged in groundbreaking endeavors such as designing novel zero-carbon cementitious and polymer composites using advanced manufacturing technologies. His research extends to developing carbon-negative infrastructure materials derived from CO2 and waste, upcycling plastic waste for structural materials, and exploring multifunctional sea-water, sea-sand, and sea-aggregate concrete.

In the domain of computing, Professor Saafi leverages Molecular Dynamics and Density Functional Theory to craft high-performance tools for the bottom-up design, topology optimization, and characterization of resilient cementitious and polymer-based composites. His group is actively involved in the Internet of Infrastructure Materials (I2M), where they design and 3D print smart structural materials with capabilities such as cloud communication, data transfer, self-powering, local computing, and human interaction. The pursuit of AI-guided discovery for self-sensing and self-healing infrastructure materials remains a focal point.

Energy research under Professor Saafi's guidance revolves around transforming built environments into green energy sources, batteries, and power lines. He envisions inherently interactive materials that not only produce but also store electricity locally, contributing to a sustainable energy ecosystem.

In parallel, Professor Saafi and his research group are making significant strides in the field of structural health monitoring. They are actively developing wireless and powerless sensors for real-time monitoring of structural integrity in the built environment and energy infrastructure. This research initiative underscores Professor Saafi's commitment to advancing technology for a more sustainable and resilient future, ensuring that the structures supporting our societies remain safe and robust.

Professor Saafi has published over 100 peer-reviewed journal papers. His research breakthroughs have been featured by major international news outlets. He was recently named among the world's top 2% of scientists by Stanford University. He was also nominated by Elsevier as one of the top 2% of scientists for three consecutive years, up to and including 2023.