Zaib Rao

I've delivered simulation-driven design decisions for BioLargo Canada through Mitacs Accelerate projects on EV battery thermal management and advanced oxidation reactor scale-up. Using ANSYS Fluent, I evaluated battery-module heat transfer, temperature uniformity, pressure drop, residence time, and candidate geometries before physical prototyping.

At the University of Alberta, I've built OpenFOAM and preCICE workflows for non-Newtonian fluid-structure interaction, conjugate heat transfer, and structural dynamics. I also create SolidWorks models and Python post-processing tools that turn complex numerical results into practical engineering recommendations.

My work combines computational fluid dynamics, applied mathematics, and teaching. I've published 30 peer-reviewed papers, secured competitive research fellowships, and taught and supervised more than 250 undergraduate and graduate students in fluid mechanics and applied mathematics.