DrMazdak Ghajari
Associate Professor in Brain Biomechanics
Dyson School of Design Engineering - Faculty of Engineering
Orcid identifier0000-0001-5678-5124 (opens in a new tab)
- Associate Professor in Brain BiomechanicsDyson School of Design Engineering - Faculty of Engineering
- 020 7594 9236 (Work)
- Dyson Building, South Kensington Campus, United Kingdom
BIO
Research focus: The focus of my research is understanding the effects of mechanical loading on the brain in different applications such as sporting collisions, road traffic incidents, falls, diseases, and surgical interventions. I also use this fundamental understanding to develop applied solutions to predict and prevent brain injuries. I develop and use a range of methods for my research, including computational modelling, impact testing, novel design of energy absorbing structures, artificial intelligence, and sensing.
Research contributions
• Led the development of a new cycle helmet rating programme, HIPER (www.hiperhelmets.org). Within two months of the launch, our website had over 80k views.
• One of the few experts in brain injury biomechanics across Europe who proposed a rotation-based brain injury criterion for the new revision of helmet standards.
• Worked with colleagues in CEN/TC158/WG11 committee on the development of a new headform for assessing head rotation in helmet tests, which is published in the EN17950 standard.
• Leading the biomechanics work for a national, multi-centre research platform, TBI-REPORTER. The aim of the project is to build a data hub for TBI, enabling exponential growth in TBI research.
• Led a study on the effects of falls of e-scooter riders on their head injuries, which has been cited in policy documents in Norway, Sweden and the UK, including the UK PACTS (parliamentary advisory committee on traffic safety).
• The brain injury biomechanics expert on the advisory panel of UK Department for Transport’s Road Accident In-Depth Studies (RAIDS) Database.
• Our work, based on brain injury biomechanics modelling, has been instrumental in changing World Rugby’s guidelines on return to play.
Team: I had a pioneering role in establishing the cross-faculty brain injury biomechanics research at Imperial College. This led to the founding of the HEAD lab in Design Engineering, where I have supervised and mentored several PhD students and Postdoctoral researchers.
Current projects: My team at HEAD lab is working on several exciting projects. Some examples are provided below.
Helmet work
• We are extending the HIPER helmet rating to children’s cycle helmets. This work is to provide parents and guardians with key information about helmet safety to help them make an informed choice when purchasing a new helmet.
• We are developing new methods for testing industrial helmets. 70% of brain injuries in industrial settings are caused by falls and trips, but current standards do not test for these. We aim to fill this important gap.
• We are developing new methods for testing motorcycle helmets against facial impacts. Nearly 50% of head impacts in motorcycle collisions are to the face, but facial impact protection is minimally tested by current standards. We aim to fill this gap.
Brain work
• We are improving the biofidelity of our anatomically detailed computational model of brain biomechanics, with an aim to provide new insights into mechanisms of different types of brain injuries.
• We are working with colleagues in Brain Sciences and other institutions across the world to explore the relationship between brain tissue biomechanics and brain injury, measured with more objective approaches.
• We are developing near-real-time brain biomechanics prediction models for integration with wearables, particularly instrumented mouthguards. We use Imperial College high-fidelity model of brain biomechanics and machine learning to develop models that are accurate and efficient. This is particularly useful in the sports context.
Data
• We are working on linking road traffic and sports data with the TBI-REPORTER platform, which in due course will allow researchers to access high-quality data to power their research and exponentially increase the rate of discoveries in this field.
If you are interested in joining the HEAD lab, please send me your CV and a letter of motivation. If you would like to sponsor a study at the HEAD lab, please send me an email to meet.
Teaching
I have led two modules in our MEng Design Engineering programme: Solid Mechanics I and Finite Element Analysis. I designed both modules to enhance student engagement, which is a key contributor to deep learning. I have developed two labs for these modules, the catapult lab and the water tower lab, which have been a highlight of these modules according to students.
Admin
• 2022-present: Director of Postgraduate Studies (PhD)
• 2016-2022: Senior Tutor (MEng)
Research contributions
• Led the development of a new cycle helmet rating programme, HIPER (www.hiperhelmets.org). Within two months of the launch, our website had over 80k views.
• One of the few experts in brain injury biomechanics across Europe who proposed a rotation-based brain injury criterion for the new revision of helmet standards.
• Worked with colleagues in CEN/TC158/WG11 committee on the development of a new headform for assessing head rotation in helmet tests, which is published in the EN17950 standard.
• Leading the biomechanics work for a national, multi-centre research platform, TBI-REPORTER. The aim of the project is to build a data hub for TBI, enabling exponential growth in TBI research.
• Led a study on the effects of falls of e-scooter riders on their head injuries, which has been cited in policy documents in Norway, Sweden and the UK, including the UK PACTS (parliamentary advisory committee on traffic safety).
• The brain injury biomechanics expert on the advisory panel of UK Department for Transport’s Road Accident In-Depth Studies (RAIDS) Database.
• Our work, based on brain injury biomechanics modelling, has been instrumental in changing World Rugby’s guidelines on return to play.
Team: I had a pioneering role in establishing the cross-faculty brain injury biomechanics research at Imperial College. This led to the founding of the HEAD lab in Design Engineering, where I have supervised and mentored several PhD students and Postdoctoral researchers.
Current projects: My team at HEAD lab is working on several exciting projects. Some examples are provided below.
Helmet work
• We are extending the HIPER helmet rating to children’s cycle helmets. This work is to provide parents and guardians with key information about helmet safety to help them make an informed choice when purchasing a new helmet.
• We are developing new methods for testing industrial helmets. 70% of brain injuries in industrial settings are caused by falls and trips, but current standards do not test for these. We aim to fill this important gap.
• We are developing new methods for testing motorcycle helmets against facial impacts. Nearly 50% of head impacts in motorcycle collisions are to the face, but facial impact protection is minimally tested by current standards. We aim to fill this gap.
Brain work
• We are improving the biofidelity of our anatomically detailed computational model of brain biomechanics, with an aim to provide new insights into mechanisms of different types of brain injuries.
• We are working with colleagues in Brain Sciences and other institutions across the world to explore the relationship between brain tissue biomechanics and brain injury, measured with more objective approaches.
• We are developing near-real-time brain biomechanics prediction models for integration with wearables, particularly instrumented mouthguards. We use Imperial College high-fidelity model of brain biomechanics and machine learning to develop models that are accurate and efficient. This is particularly useful in the sports context.
Data
• We are working on linking road traffic and sports data with the TBI-REPORTER platform, which in due course will allow researchers to access high-quality data to power their research and exponentially increase the rate of discoveries in this field.
If you are interested in joining the HEAD lab, please send me your CV and a letter of motivation. If you would like to sponsor a study at the HEAD lab, please send me an email to meet.
Teaching
I have led two modules in our MEng Design Engineering programme: Solid Mechanics I and Finite Element Analysis. I designed both modules to enhance student engagement, which is a key contributor to deep learning. I have developed two labs for these modules, the catapult lab and the water tower lab, which have been a highlight of these modules according to students.
Admin
• 2022-present: Director of Postgraduate Studies (PhD)
• 2016-2022: Senior Tutor (MEng)
FACULTY
- Faculty of Engineering
POSITION NAME
- Associate Professor in Brain Biomechanics