Dr. Simo Mäkiharju

Biography

Simo Mäkiharju is an Associate Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley. His research focuses on advancing the physical understanding of high-Reynolds number single- and multiphase flows through experimental techniques. He completed his Bachelor’s degree in Energy Technology at Lappeenranta University of Technology, Finland, before obtaining his M.Sc. in Mechanical Engineering from The Ohio State University in 2005. He earned his Ph.D. from the University of Michigan in 2012, where he conducted graduate research aimed at reducing hydrodynamic drag through gas injection and the development of time-resolved x-ray densitometry imaging systems to study multiphase flows. He continued at the University of Michigan as a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow from 2012 to 2014 and as an Assistant Research Scientist from 2014 to 2015, focusing on single- and multiphase flow mixing in channel flows. Since January 2016, he has been an Assistant Professor at UC Berkeley, where he pursues research interests in high-Reynolds number flows and the development of advanced experimental measurement techniques. His work has implications across various fields including energy production, chemical processing, and naval hydrodynamics. He is particularly interested in applications related to drag reduction and mitigation of cavitation noise in marine vehicles.

Research Interests

Experience