High-flying engineer has best of academia and industry

The research student left India for Salford to study her PhD in acoustics and combines her studies with research for Lancashire textiles technology firm Cosmotech NonWovens Ltd.

Acoustics and textiles are combining in what the government calls a Knowledge Transfer Partnership (KTP) – where a University and a company coordinate research to solve a problem.

Neha believes acoustics can have myriad applications and her drive to research how textiles can absorb sound landed her a position as the KTP Associate, part based at the firm and part at the Acoustics Research Centre at the University.

Sound absorbing products

“As an engineer, I have always had that urge to contribute towards the common good of the society and this partnership really bridges the gap between academia and industry.”

The partnership aims to help Cosmotech create new products which absorb sound in everything from cars and roofing, to facial wipes and curtain linings.

“Together with the firm’s technical people, we aim to create solutions that will transform the way we perceive textiles,” she says enthusiastically.

“The objects in our vicinity manipulate sound waves. Amongst these, the textiles are the most sought after when it comes to sound absorption.”

Awards

Supervised at the University of Salford by Dr Olga Unmova and Professor Andy Moorhouse, Neha has already made her mark, winning KTP Associate Annual Conference Best Presentation Award, the 91st Textile Institute World Conference Best Poster Award and the SPARC Best Presentation Award made by at the University of Salford’s Festival of Research.

Neha also attended the UK Acoustics Network Summer School and the ISMA-USD Noise and Vibration Engineering Conference

The daughter of a physicist and a vet, both experts in their fields, Neha grew up fiddling with machines and science experiments and her first degree was in Mechanical Engineering.

While studying her Masters at Salford, she entered a Santander Pitch competition having created a novel writing aid for people with finger amputations.

The three-year KTP is due to complete in 2020.