Background & Personal Journey

Industrial Engineering Studies · Venezuela

I began my higher education studying industrial engineering in Venezuela. Due to increasing social and political instability, I was unable to complete the program and had to migrate with my family to Spain. This interruption was not academic in nature, but structural and personal.

Professional Training & Culinary Leadership · Spain

In Spain, I pursued professional technical studies while working in high-level kitchens. I started as a kitchen assistant and progressed into leadership roles, managing professional kitchen teams by the end of my technical training.

This period strongly shaped my discipline, work ethic, leadership style, and ability to operate under pressure.

BSc in Materials Engineering · Spain

I enrolled in a Bachelor’s degree in Materials Engineering. During my third year, I applied for an Erasmus exchange in Finland which would happen during the last semester of my degree, the time most students use to complete the thesis work. To make this possible, I initiated my Bachelor’s thesis one year earlier than usual.

The thesis was conducted at IMDEA Materials Institute under the supervision of Professor Javier Llorca and focused on multiscale modelling of the Hall–Petch effect in FCC polycrystals. The work became the basis of my first peer-reviewed international publication, achieved while still an undergraduate student.

Erasmus Exchange & Research Internship · Finland

During my Erasmus stay in Finland, I met Professor Mikko Hokka, who would later become a key figure in my professional development. I was offered a research internship at Tampere University, working on high-strain-rate deformation of commercial steels and dynamic impact testing.

MSc in Applied Mathematics · Spain

I returned to Spain to complete a Master’s degree in Applied Mathematics. Building on my background in material mechanics, I focused on advanced numerical methods, while expanding my expertise to include fluid dynamics and combustion modelling.

In parallel, I co-founded and served as a board member of a family engineering company with my father, a university professor specialized in thermofluids, heat transfer, and power generation. We developed numerical models for CO₂ sequestration devices, achieving predictive granular flow simulations for both fixed-bed and fluidized-bed systems.

Structural Engineering Consultant · SOLUTE

After the COVID-related shutdown of our company, I joined the engineering consultancy SOLUTE, performing mechanical analyses of metallic structures. Although the role was short, it was technically dense and established professional relationships that continue today.

PhD in Computational Mechanics · Finland

I was granted a PhD position at Tampere University and relocated to Finland. During this period, I participated in more than ten international conferences, experimental campaigns at large-scale research facilities, and international project meetings.

Under the guidance of my supervisors, Professor Mikko Hokka and Docent Timo Saksala, I developed advanced numerical methods and my own finite element code, deepening my understanding of modelling beyond commercial solvers.

I was involved in multiple industrial research projects, supervised a Master’s thesis student, and played a major role in the participation of Tampere University in the CASEMATE project, related to wear and fatigue of components of engines operating with green fuels. I completed the PhD in three years and published more than twelve peer-reviewed papers.

Structural Analysis & Simulation · Wärtsilä

At Wärtsilä, I performed large-scale finite element simulations of marine engine assemblies, contributing to structural integrity assessments and fatigue analysis, and automated CAE workflows in Python.

In parallel, I supervised a Master’s thesis student focused on material model calibration and kept collaborating with Tampere University, where I co-supervise a PhD student working on advanced material characterization of metals under extreme loading conditions.

These years showed me how much impact research can have once it runs inside real engineering pipelines, and I keep close links with Wärtsilä today.

Postdoctoral Research Fellow · Tampere IAS & Tampere University

I was awarded a two-year Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the Tampere Institute for Advanced Study, with a double affiliation at Tampere University. I lead LIDO-SuMa, a project that brings fatigue and wear physics into sustainability-driven design optimization, using agent-based CAE workflows to automate, orchestrate, and optimize simulations.

The goal is research that grows from a good idea into tools used at industrial scale, so that the products we design use less material, last longer, and stay safe in service.