Dr Maria Parsa

Assistant Professor

School: Engineering, Physics and Mathematics

Dr Maria Parsa (Published name: Maryam Parsa) holds a bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering – Heat & Fluids from the University of Hormozgan, Iran and an MSc in Thermal Power and Fluids Engineering (with Distinction) from the University of Manchester, UK. She also holds an MSc in Energy Conversion and Management (with Distinction) from the University of Nottingham, UK. Subsequently, she was employed as a doctoral researcher by the VEDECOM Institute, France to continue her studies for a PhD in Mechanical Engineering at the LAMIH Laboratory (UMR CNRS 8201), Polytechnic University of Hauts-de-France, France. In 2018, she was awarded the Doctoral Prize Fellowship by Loughborough University, UK. In 2020, she was appointed to a lectureship at the Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering at Northumbria University.

Email Maria

Research Themes and Scholarly Interests

Maria’s research is multidisciplinary (i.e., engineering, materials, colloid and interface science, biology) focused on experimental investigation of phase-change heat transfer and fluid flows of pure and complex fluids (i.e., nanofluids, biofluids) at all scales for important technological applications such as printing, coating, thermal management, biomedical and nanotechnologies. Her main research actvities are:

Evaporation driven self-assembly (e.g. Mechanisms of pattern formation from drying colloidal sessile droplets)

Phase-change heat transfer (e.g. Evaporation and condensation of droplets on surfaces)

Antibacterial coating

Key Publications

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Acoustofluidics Powered Synthesis of Bacterial Cellulose, Zhang, J., Gilmour, K., Zhang, M., Jiang, Y., Arnold, P., Ong, H., Wu, Q., Parsa, M., Tao, R., Luo, J., Fu, Y. 1 Dec 2025, In: ACS Sustainable Chemistry and Engineering
Inclined colloidal drops: Evaporation kinetics and pattern formation, Parsa, M., Askounis, A. 25 Apr 2023, In: Frontiers in Mechanical Engineering
How do colloidal droplets evaporate when at an incline?, Askounis, A., Parsa, M. 2022, UK Heat Transfer Conference
Modelling of foamed emulsion drainage, Koursari, N., Johnson, P., Parsa, M., Schneider, M., Trybala, A., Starov, V. 5 Sep 2020, In: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects
Effect of different foam generation methods on emollient foams, Parsa, M. 24 Jun 2019, 8th Conference Bubble & Drop
Foam in pharmaceutical and medical applications, Parsa, M., Trybala, A., Malik, D., Starov, V. 1 Dec 2019, In: Current Opinion in Colloid and Interface Science
Mechanisms of pattern formation from dried sessile drops, Parsa, M., Harmand, S., Sefiane, K. 1 Apr 2018, In: Advances in Colloid and Interface Science
Effect of Substrate Temperature on Pattern Formation of Bidispersed Particles from Volatile Drops, Parsa, M., Harmand, S., Sefiane, K., Bigerelle, M., Deltombe, R. 7 Dec 2017, In: The Journal of Physical Chemistry B
Patterns from dried water-butanol binary-based nanofluid drops, Parsa, M. 28 Jul 2017, In: Journal of Nanoparticle Research
Evaporation of Binary Mixture Nanofluid Drops: Pattern Formation, Parsa, M. 22 May 2016, TechConnect Briefs

Professional Activity

Please visit the Pure Research Information Portal for further information
Participating in a conference, workshop, ...: UK Heat Transfer Conference 2022
Oral presentation: Evaporation of Colloidal Drops on Inclined Surfaces 2021
Publication Peer-review: Scientific Reports (Journal) 2021
Membership of network: Engineering Professors' Council (External organisation) 2021
Invited talk: Patterns from Drying Droplets of Complex Fluids 2021
Organising a conference, workshop, ...: Reforming Multi-disciplinary Engineering Innovation for the New Normal 2020
Participating in a conference, workshop, ...: SWEP Workshop 2020 2020
Membership of network: American Physical Society (External organisation) 2020
Membership of network: Royal Society of Chemistry (External organisation) 2020
Publication Peer-review: Colloids and Surfaces A: Physicochemical and Engineering Aspects (Journal) 2019

PGR Supervision

Glen Bowen Engineering Next-Generation Antimicrobial Surfaces and Coatings Start Date: 01/10/2025 End Date: 17/10/2025
Glen Bowen Design and Development of Next-Generation Hybrid Antimicrobial Surfaces Start Date: 01/10/2025

Further Information

Current Teaching responsibilites:

KB3018 - Foundational Engineering Approaches 1 [ Lead Tutor]

KB4044 - Thermodynamics

KB6060 - Investigative Project [Lead Tutor]

Previous Teaching responsibilites:

KB5005 - Fluid Systems

KB6004 - Sustainable Energy Systems

KB7068 - Research Methods

KB7052 - MSc Research Project

KB7056 - Advanced Practice

Administrative responsibilities:

Programme Leader for MSc Engineering Management, MSc Mechanical Engineering & MSc Renewable and Sustainable Energy Technologies - [Sep 2025 - present]

Year Tutor for Mechanical and Automotive Engineering Programmes (Level 6 - Final Year BEng) - [Sep 2023 - Sep 2025]

Year Tutor for Mechanical Engineering and Automotive Engineering Programmes (Level 4 - First Year BEng & MEng) - [Sep 2021 - Sep 2022]

EDI & Athena Swan Self-Assessment Team member at Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering - [Sep 2020 - 2024]