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Dr. Darshil U Shah is an Associate Professor in Materials Science and Design at the University of Cambridge, leading the Centre for Natural Material Innovation (CNMI). He is also a Deputy Head of Department (Director of Research), Co-Lead, Centre for Natural Material Innovation, Fellow, St John’s College and the Director of Studies, St John’s College.
Dr. Darshil U. Shah is an Associate Professor in Materials Science and Design in the Department of Architecture at the University of Cambridge, where he serves as the Deputy Head of Department (Director of Research). He is a recognized leader in sustainable materials research, co-leading the renowned Centre for Natural Material Innovation (CNMI). A Fellow of the Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (FIMMM), his work is fundamentally interdisciplinary, operating at the intersection of design, architecture, humanities, physical sciences, and engineering.
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Dr. Shah’s research is driven by a mission to replace anthropogenic materials with bio-based materials through low-energy manufacturing and improved performance. His innovative projects span multiple sectors, from developing a bamboo cricket bat (leading to a commercial spin-out) and flax biocomposite wind turbine blades to pioneering digital workflows for engineered timber school buildings. His commitment to policy and public engagement is evident through contributions to the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee and exhibitions like the London Design Biennale.
Biography
Dr. Darshil U. Shah brings a robust technical background to his work in sustainable design. He obtained his PhD on developing plant fibre composites for wind energy applications from the University of Nottingham. Following this, he conducted post-doctoral research on silk-based and biological composites at the University of Oxford’s Silk Group before joining Cambridge in 2015.
His research focuses on understanding the complex relationships between materials, society, technology, history, and nature. This leads to the innovation of materials like an off-grid net-zero house from industrial hemp and room-temperature processing for spider silk-like textile fibres. Dr. Shah has been involved in over £20M in research projects, resulting in over 75 peer-reviewed journal papers and numerous accolades, including the Vice Chancellor’s Research Impact Award 2020 for his work on open-source, curved-crease origami face shields during the COVID-19 pandemic. At St John’s College, he is a Fellow and Director of Studies.
Core Profile Details
Contact and Availability
Research and Expertise
Dr. Shah’s expertise lies in the entire lifecycle of natural materials, from fundamental science and processing to innovative design and commercialization, primarily focusing on sustainability and performance.
Key Research Areas:
- Natural Materials Science and Technology: Exploring the structure-property relationships of natural materials like timber, bamboo, and flax for engineering applications.
- Decarbonization and Circular Economy: Leading large-scale projects (WOODCIRCLES, TIMBER) focused on using recovered/recycled materials, urban sawmills, and designing for deconstruction to achieve low-carbon construction.
- Biocomposites and Multifunctionality: Developing advanced composites from natural fibres (e.g., flax, hemp) for diverse sectors like wind energy, marine, and construction.
- Bio-inspired Materials: Researching nature-derived materials and processes, such as silk-based fibres and composites.
- Sustainable Sportswear/Products: Innovation in consumer goods using bio-based and recycled materials (Bamboo Cricket Bats – CamBoom, Circular Cricket Gear).
Associated Funding and Opportunities
Dr. Shah has been instrumental in securing major interdisciplinary grants and commercializing research:
- Horizon Europe/UKRI (UPWEARS, WOODCIRCLES): Co-PI/Co-I on two large-scale projects focused on circularity and biomaterials in sports wearables and the built environment (totaling M, including M to Cambridge).
- Industry-Led Timber Projects: Co-I on TIMBER and Precision Engineered Timber (totaling over k) for developing digital manufacturing workflows for sustainable schools.
- Commercialisation: PI on CamBoom (AHRC IAA fund) to commercialize Design Rights-protected bamboo cricket bats.
- Policy Impact: Contributor to the UK Parliament’s Environmental Audit Committee and RIBA policy briefings.
Key Publications
With over 75 peer-reviewed publications, Dr. Shah’s work is widely cited (h-index 36). Selected publications highlight his key research themes:
- Ancient Textiles (2021): Melelli, A., Shah, D.U., et al. Lessons on textile history and fibre durability from a 4000-year-old Egyptian flax yarn. Nature Plants.
- Bamboo/Timber in Construction (2021): Koronaki, A., Bukauskas, A., Jalia, A., Shah, D.U., Ramage, M.H. Prefabricated Engineered Timber Schools in the UK. Sustainability.
- Sustainable Sports (2021): Tinkler-Davies, B., Ramage, M.H., Shah, D.U. Replacing willow with bamboo cricket bats. Proc. Inst. Mech. Eng., Part P: J. Sports Eng. and Tech.
- Bio-inspired Fibres (2018): Wu, Y., Shah, D.U., et al. Biomimetic supramolecular fibres exhibit water-induced supercontraction. Advanced Materials.
- Comprehensive Review (2018): Bourmaud, A., Shah, D.U., et al. Towards the design of high-performance plant fibre composites. Progress in Materials Science.
