Dr. Salmabanu Ismailbhai Luhar

Biography

Dr. Salmabanu Ismailbhai Luhar (ORCID:0000-0002-1129-2825)  is an Honorary Research Fellow in the Faculty of Engineering & Digital Technologies at the University of Bradford. She is a professional Concrete Technologist, Associate Professional Engineer, Chartered Engineer, and Approved Valuer, holding two honorary postdoctoral (D.Litt.) degrees, following her PhD in Civil (Structural) Engineering (2018) from the Indian Government’s National Institute of Technology. Dr. Luhar has undertaken advanced postdoctoral research in the USA, UK, European Union, and Taiwan, serving as a postdoctoral research associate and also as a Principal Investigator (PI) on individual projects funded by MSCA, UKRI, and Indian government agencies Her high-impact research has earned her global recognition, placing her among the top 3% of civil engineering scientists worldwide (Stanford University), and she is listed in Marquis Who’s Who, USA, representing the top 3% of professionals globally. Dr. Luhar has authored more than 77 research articles, contributed to 7 books and 15 book chapters, and has received over 40 international awards including gold and silver medals for inventions, best paper awards, and prestigious fellowships from JSPS, MSCA, UKRI, Indian government ministries, and European Commission-funded projects and so on.  Her strong citation record and high-impact publications establish her as a record-breaking researcher in the field of concrete technology, especially geopolymer concrete technology. Her research projects are being funded by national and international bodies and government ministries. Her research expertise spans sustainable construction materials, low-carbon and high-performance geopolymer concretes, decarbonisation in constructions, resilient infrastructures, and smart digital structural systems with high strength and durability, even when incorporating large volumes of waste materials. Her research interests also include strength, durability and microstructural properties of geopolymer composites, translucent (light-transmitting) concrete, bacterial/self-healing concrete, ultra-high-performance concrete, rubberized cement concrete, and 3D-printed low-carbon concretes. She has led government-funded projects on geopolymer concrete, developed innovative low-carbon materials from construction and demolition waste, and fabricated geopolymer composites using advanced 3D printing and image processing techniques. From her Master’s degree to prestigious JSPS, MSCA, and UKRI fellowships, her research consistently focuses on the development of novel, sustainable, durable, and affordable clean cutting-edge building materials and their performance evaluations. By and large, her research mission is to “Save the Earth” and its environment from global warming and resulting dilemma of climate change through decarbonising  the construction industry using low operational energy and conserving restricted natural resources to “Go Green, Live Green”. Also, Dr. Luhar is keen to use diverse types of wastes incorporating concrete to convert “Wastes to wealth” for systematic waste management and to support the circular economy, lowering the cost of production.  As a woman research scientist in STEM, Dr. Luhar also brings a digital vision to her work by applying artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning techniques to improve construction material performance. She has taught and mentored undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral students, consistently receiving excellent feedback.  Dr Luhar’s research spans a broad range of academic and societal topics, making significant contributions to ultra-high-performing, thermal and fire-resistant geopolymer composites for safer eco-constructions contributing to “Safer world infrastructures”. A key focus of her work is CO₂ emissions mitigation, reducing carbon footprints for a “greener globe” while also contributing to carbon credit generation. Dr. Luhar has filed national and international patents, and her publications demonstrate a strong impact, with 3506 citations, h-index: 27, and i10-index: 38 (Google Scholar). She has authored 7 books, 15 book chapters, and received 40+ awards and accolades, including recognition for best Master’s and doctoral theses, record achievements, best paper awards, gold and silver medals for inventions and mega-projects, and 05 prestigious fellowships from JSPS, MSCA, UKRI, Indian government ministries as well as EC funded project in EU; Best academic researcher, Best presenter, and…..so on. Building on her inventions, Dr. Luhar endeavoured to raising awareness of green building materials and their role in reducing landfills and mitigating environmental hazards. Her single-authored books, published in the EU and translated into 16 international languages, is written in an accessible style for both academics and the general public. She continues to drive innovation through multidisciplinary research in 3D printing, AI, ML, biotechnology, fibres, material science, and geopolymer concrete technologies, while actively promoting open science approaches. Dr. Luhar is affiliated with prestigious publishers as a brand ambassador and serves on the editorial boards of several high-impact journals, in addition to her active role as a peer reviewer for international publications.