Alan Giacomin


Canada Research Chair in Physics of Fluids

Tier 1 - 2017-11-01
Renewed: 2021-10-01
Queen's University
Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council


giacomin@queensu.ca

Coming to Canada From

University of Wisconsin-Madison, United States

Research involves

Using rheometers to study the motion and alignment of long-chain molecules that produce sticky, gooey, elastic liquids, like melted plastics

Research relevance

This research will help support Canada’s plastics industry by shedding light on the intricate inner workings and motions of complex fluids, such as polymer molecules.

Research summary

Rheology is the branch of physics that studies the flow and deformation of all kinds of matter, like the sticky, gooey, elastic liquids that make up plastics. This complex matter is made of fluid molecules with long-chain structures. Modern rheological research is all about understanding and connecting chain structure with chain motions and alignments. As Canada Research Chair in Physics of Fluids, Dr. Alan Giacomin is advancing his world-leading studies in rheology.

He and his research team are trying to predict rheological responses for any macromolecular shape-whether known or imagined-to its non-linear rheology. They also hope to reveal how macromolecular structure affects polymer processing and identify how viral structures and shapes determine the transport properties that govern cell binding and infection.