20th ERCOFTAC Da Vinci Competition 2025 - Interview with Da Vinci Finalists

Daniel Moron
(University of Bremen, Germany)

• What is the topic of your Ph.D. thesis?

My Ph.D thesis titled "The transitional regime of pulsatile pipe flow" focused on turbulence transition and the transitional regime of unsteadily driven (pulsatile) pipe flow. These flows are typically found in industrial applications and most notably in cardiovascular systems. There, turbulence is usually undesired as it is related with the development of cardiovascular diseases. This is because turbulent blood flow exerts additional and chaotic stresses on our vessel walls, that can lead to serious conditions such as aneurysms. In my thesis I extensively studied pulsatile flow in a rigid pipe as an approximation to cardiovascular flows. I combined different theoretical and numerical methods to understand: how the flow becomes turbulent; and how the flow behaves once it transitions to turbulence.

• What does the Da Vinci competition mean to you?

I was very humbled to be selected as one of 2025 finalists. I really appreciated the opportunity to be invited to Darmstadt and to be able to share the work of my thesis with all the ERCOFTAC members. I really enjoyed the competition, the discussions that took place during the ceremony and to meet the rest of the finalists. The drink we shared after the competition in the castle in Darmstadt still tastes very good.

• What did trigger your interest in STEM?

I really cannot pinpoint a single experience or a single reason why I am interested on STEM topics. They simply appeal to me. I find it truly fascinating that we can describe our surroundings with a 'simple' set of mathematical laws, that these laws can be learned and that they can used to affect our environment in a positive way. I find it extremely compelling.

• Do you have any advice for others in STEM?

I guess that, if I had to give one, i would advice anyone in STEM not to feel discouraged if a particular topic or field looks very difficult to learn or to practice. I truly believe that everyone (like me), not only the geniuses, can master any topic if they really put the amount of time, effort and enthusiasm needed into it.

• What motivates you in your work?

I would be lying if I donot admit that part of my motivation comes from a competition spirit, or ego. After all, learning is always (at least for me) a challenge. Whenever I detect a topic I am not that knowledgable about (and there are many) I have this urge to learn it and practice it. Deep down, however, I believe that I am driven by a genuine curiosity on the topics I study. I hope that it does not sound very corny, but to be able to understand (and I mean really understand) a particular topic, or find the true physical mechanisms behind a certain phenomena, is one of the most satisfactory feelings that one, in my humble opinion, can have.

• Where do you see yourself in five years?

I really want to pursue an academic career, obtain a tenure track position, and put together a research group, focused on numerical methods and the fundamental study of turbulence, turbulence control and dynamical systems in general. I would also love to continue teaching, and improving my methods for supervision and tutoring. I think my jokes in class still need a lot of improving. If this cannot be, I would feel extremely lucky to land a job that allows me to 'play' or more formally do research on any complex topic in STEM, so I do not have to stop learning.

• What advice would you give to new PhD students starting in fluid mechanics?

I would tell them not to misvalue the importance of spending hours reading and learning theory or methods. In my humble opinion these hours are much more enjoyable and at the end of your PhD more valuable than the hours you sepnd postprocessing results or writing papers. I truly think that the value of the Ph.D. is rooted on the opportunity it gives you to devote some extra years to further learn and improve your skills.