Members

Jonas Sonnenschein, Post-doctoral Researcher

After completing my first postdoc at OIST in the Theory of Quantum Matter Unit, I'm eager to use my arcane knowledge of quantum field theory in a more mundane setting. In particular, I'm developing macroscopic weather models in the form of shallow water equations from kinetic gas theory. I really like the holistic approach that we pursue in the 2ST unit and enjoy going on field trips to employ our sensors. Furthermore, I'm deepening my understanding of the fascinating world of fluid dynamics on a conceptual and computational level. During my graduate studies in the vibrant city of Berlin, I classified and studied highly entangled quantum states that are called quantum spin liquids, borrowing many concepts from the mathematical field of group theory. My leisure time is often devoted to playing music, gardening and taking advantage of the proximity to the beautiful ocean around Okinawa.

Luke Collyer-Hoar, PhD Student

As part of my Mathematics Masters at Imperial College London, my thesis focused on finding soliton solutions to the Dirac equation in the presence of abelian BPS monopoles using the Nahm transform. I also undertook a project in which I attempted to find solitary waves in an inviscid fluid between two horizontal plates with an electric field passed between. At OIST, as part of the Shocks, Solitons and Turbulence unit, my thesis is focused on continuous mathematical models of mass transportation in biological networks, including trees, root systems and slime mold. In my spare time I enjoy reading, playing and watching football, and in general keeping active.

Roman Mukhin, Hardware Research Engineer

My role is to support the Unit's Research in matters relating to mechanical and electronic design. I am currently focused on developing tree sensors for forest dynamics research. My background is the design of robotics systems. I completed my bachelor's and master's in robotic engineering and have worked with space and nuclear robotic systems. Outside of work, I have fun with 3D printing, DIY projects and enjoy walking around Okinawa.

Stephen Winn, Post-doctoral Researcher
Ocean-atmosphere and land-atmosphere energy exchanges

As a member of the S2T unit, I am studying ocean-atmosphere and land-atmosphere energy exchanges using theoretical models and high-performance numerical simulations supported by data analysis of in-situ observations. My background is in engineering having obtained an M.Eng with a specialisation in fluid mechanics from ENSEEIHT. I later completed an MSc. in Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London (ICL) where I then joined Emile Touber's research group as a PhD student. I received my PhD from ICL for work focusing on energy exchanges in compressible flows near a phase change involving numerical simulations performed using the computational framework dNami.