Job description

I am an experienced interdisciplinary researcher, holding an M.Sc. in chemical engineering and a Ph.D. in materials engineering. My journey in concrete research began at at the age of 17 during my studies at Riga State Technical School (Latvia), where internships at Rudus Group and Heidelberg Cement Group ignited my passion. However, my concrete technologies career truly flourished at Riga Technical University.

From 2007 to 2014, during my bachelor and master studies, I pioneered novel high-performance and aluminosilicate cenospheres-reinforced lightweight concrete mixes. These innovations set benchmarks for heavy concrete, incorporating metal scraps and reinforced concrete with materials like glass fibres. Simultaneously, I explored diverse areas such as ceramic and glass materials, civil and mechanical engineering, leading to innovative techniques like foaming cement paste with hydrodynamic cavitation.

In my doctoral studies at Tallinn University of Technology (2014-2018), my focus shifted to new reinforced (eg, basalt fibres) and nano-reinforced (carbon nanofibres) ceramic composites. I also explored physical vapor deposition coatings for tribological research, covering high-temperature friction, erosion, corrosion, and more.

Post-Ph.D., I actively contributed to Latvian science and industry for five years, engaging in projects ranging from humic substance extraction for agriculture to ship wastewater treatment innovations. My work extended to managing European projects on sublimation technology in the fish industry and hydroponics systems for crop cultivation crucial to the national economy.

Aligned with circular economy principles, my efforts resulted in 30+ publications, with over 20 indexed in Scopus. Parallel to academic studies, I founded CureAir, a startup focused on air disinfection systems combating Covid-19. Currently, I'm involved in launching a startup for designing moped autos.

Participating in UiT projects GEOSUMAT and Circ Boost, my current research focus centers on concrete and geopolymer research using local raw materials and recycled construction wastes. Leveraging my expertise, I foresee promising research directions emerging from these studies.