Professional / academic background

Carmen received an MEng in Chemical Engineering from the University of Granada (Spain).  After a few years working in Brussels, sitting on the executive board of the European Confederation of Junior Enterprises, she decided to undertake a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, graduating in 2008 from Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh.  Her PhD work has driven the development of a novel technique for the engineering and tailoring of functionalities and geometries within solid polymeric foams via controlled ultrasonic irradiation.

Carmen was a Research Fellow at the University of Strathclyde, Glasgow, from 2008 until 2010.  She then took up a lectureship position in Mechanical Engineering at Heriot-Watt University.  Carmen joined the Wolfson School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at Loughborough University in April 2013 as a Senior Lecturer.

Carmen's research interest is in the manufacture of multifunctional materials, in particular porous materials whose internal architecture can be tailored to meet specific requirements (ie structural and bio-active materials).  This enables her to collaborate with a broad spectrum of disciplines (eg bioengineers, computer modellers, mathematicians, food technologists, clinicians, materials scientists, etc).  Her research requires a very close contact with industry and she has attracted funding from public and private sources.

Main research projects:

• Generation of engineered multifunctional  structures, tailored to specific applications in bioengineering and the food industry, via ultrasonic sonication
• Design and manufacture of medical devices
• Lightweight components manufacture for the automotive industry

Broad interests and expertise:

• Added functionality in materials and structures
• Materials and lightweight structures
• Medical and orthopaedic applications and devices
• Bioengineering and scaffolds for medical applications
• Packaging and sacrificial structures
• Architecture and design; intelligent materials for buildings
• Elimination and control of hazardous substances
• Use of renewable, biodegradable materials
• Acoustic applications for the manipulation and manufacture of materials  
• Embedded Intelligence in products and systems

Carmen always ensures her students get exposed to very hands-on activities, where they can practise the theory and learn by doing.

Carmen's publications can be found in Loughborough’s Repository: 

https://dspace.lboro.ac.uk/dspace-jspui/browse?type=author&order=ASC&rpp=20&value=Torres-Sanchez%2C+Carmen