News
Austin Receives NSF CAREER Award to Study Dynamics and Damage of Void Collapse
Joanna Austin
The $400,000 National Science Foundation award will support Austin and her group’s study of shock- and stress wave-induced void collapse in biomedical applications. Tissue can be damaged during such applications if cavities develop and then collapse in the tissue. Austin’s work to predict such damage could impact treatment decisions in procedures such as lithotripsy, laser-induced plasma surgery, and ultrasound. Model experiments include high-speed imaging and the first velocity field measurements around collapsing voids.
Austin’s research areas are fluid mechanics, compressible flow and combustion. She directs the Compressible Fluid Mechanics Laboratory.
Rrom left to right are: Manu Sharma, Joanna Austin, Bill Flaherty and Andy Swantek.
Austin began her career at Illinois after earning a PhD and master’s degree in aeronautical engineering at the California Institute of Technology in 2003 and 1997, respectively. She had earned bachelor’s degrees in mathematics and in mechanical and space engineering in 1996 from the University of Queensland in Australia.
