The flow and deformation properties of materials play a key role in various processes in nature, industry and everyday life. How does lava flow out of a volcano? How does blood flow in blood vessels and how does food flow in the digestive system? How to make polymer filament flow through the nozzle of a 3D printer and how to optimize the printing quality? Why does ketchup not flow out of a glass bottle without shaking? Rheology is an interdisciplinary research field that studies the flow and deformation of materials.
I work as a researcher at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, where I primarily investigate the rheology of biomaterials. My current research focuses on cellulose-based materials that can be used to replace environmentally harmful plastics in various applications, such as in packaging materials and textiles. With these innovations, it is possible to reduce the dependence of humankind on non-renewable natural resources.
I conducted most of my doctoral research at the University of Massachusetts Amherst in the USA, and I defended my doctoral dissertation on the rheology of complex glass-forming liquids at the Aalto University School of Chemical Engineering in 2018. In 2018-2022, I worked as a postdoctoral researcher and as an Alexander von Humboldt Research Fellow at the RWTH Aachen University in Germany, where my research focused on the rheology of microgels at liquid interfaces.
I serve as the Chair of the Young Academy Finland and as the leader of the International activities task group in 2022-2023.
Twitter: @OVLaukkanen