Maria Heckl

Biography

I graduated in Physics at the Technical University in Berlin and completed my PhD on "Heat sources in acoustic resonators" in at the University of Cambridge. I worked my way up the ranks at Keele University, starting as a postdoctoral research fellow. In 2014, I became Professor of Engineering Mathematics, and I held this position until my retirement in December 2023. In March 2024, I emigrated to Germany, where I continue to be research-active – both as Professor Emerita of Keele University and as Visiting Professor of the Technical University of Munich.

I have over 80 publications in journals and conference proceedings. My total research grant income is over €10 million. I serve on the Editorial Boards of the Journal of Sound and Vibration and of the International Journal of Spray and Combustion Dynamics. I was Director of the International Institute of Acoustics and Vibration from 2011 – 2015, and President in 2020.

Research and scholarship

Broadly speaking, my research interest is in physical acoustics with a focus on technical applications. I specialise in the interaction of acoustic waves with

• flames (thermoacoustics)
• vortices and jets (aeroacoustics)
• structures (vibroacoustics).

I have been leading major European research consortia (details below) to understand such interactions in combustion systems and hence to underpin the development of clean combustion technologies, in particular hydrogen combustion. I am passionate about research that benefits the environment, and also about gender balance in scientific research.   

My European-funded research projects to date include:

POLKA ("POLlution Knowhow and Abatement", duration 2019 – 2023, 15 PhD positions, 16 network partners, total budget: €4.02 million, funded by the European Commission, Horizon 2020). Website: http://polka-eu.org/

TANGO ("Thermoacoustic and Aeroacoustic Nonlinearities in Green combustors with Orifice structures", duration: 2012 – 2016, 15 PhD positions, 12 network partners, total budget: €3.74 million, funded by the European Commission, FP7)

Website: https://www.polka-eu.org/TANGO/index.html