Welcome to my personal website, where I share my works, thoughts and views. 

I am a Lecturer in Smart Materials and Additive Manufacturing at Swansea University, United Kingdom.

My mission is to support the next generation of researchers and students through my research and teaching at the university, by creating, transferring, translating, and exchanging knowledge.

What motivates me is the potential of Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing) and new functional materials where multiple functionalities, such as actuation and sensing (for example, moving when needed and, at the same time, capable of detecting changes in the environment), can be integrated into a single system to optimise SWaP (size, weight, and power) and contribute to overall human well-being.

The types of smart materials I explore include magneto-active/responsive (MR), electro-active/responsive (ER), and shape memory (SM) polymers. My main focus is on creating novel feedstock materials for manufacturing smart materials and structures using AM/3D printing (well as 4D printing now), primarily through ink/resin-based methods such as material jetting (MJ), direct ink writing (DIW), and vat-based techniques (e.g. DLP). 

I am interested in both fundamental and translational research. 

See more about my works at Research and Teaching.

Academic and Industrial Collaborations

I am open to collaboration in the field of 4D printing, and smart materials & structures in general. Currenlty, I am interested in industrial/academic collaboration in the area of soft robotics.

PhD Opportunity

Please get in touch at a.k.bastola@swansea.ac.uk if you would like to explore PhD opportunities in above mentioned research areas with me.