Professor Manuel Pastor is a distinguished full professor at the School of Civil Engineering (ETS de Ingenieros de Caminos) at the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, where he has established himself as a leading authority in computational mechanics and numerical simulation methodologies. His academic career spans decades of innovative research in geomechanics and fluid dynamics, with significant contributions to both theoretical frameworks and practical applications in civil engineering. As a respected member of the Royal Academy of Sciences of Sevilla, he has cultivated an international reputation for excellence in engineering simulation techniques and computational modeling. His leadership extends beyond academia through active participation in major European research initiatives and collaborations with national engineering centers.
Professor Pastor's groundbreaking research program focuses on numerical, constitutive and mathematical simulation with particular expertise in large-scale particle-based computations. He has spearheaded numerous grand challenge cosmological simulations including the MareNostrum Universe, JUBILEE project, Multidark Simulations, and MUSIC project, collectively utilizing over 200 million core-hours across international high-performance computing facilities. His scholarly contributions appear regularly in prestigious journals such as International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, and Journal of Computational Physics, establishing him as a thought leader in computational engineering methodologies. His work bridges experimental geomechanics with advanced simulation techniques, creating robust frameworks for analyzing complex material behaviors under diverse conditions.
As President of the International Association ALERT Geomaterials, Professor Pastor has significantly shaped global research directions in geotechnical engineering and materials science. He has served on editorial boards of prominent journals including European Journal of Civil and Environmental Engineering and Computer Methods in Engineering Sciences, influencing scholarly discourse in his field. His leadership in the PRACE Research Infrastructure as chair of the Programme Committee of the PRACE USER Forum (2014-15) demonstrates his commitment to advancing computational research infrastructure across Europe. Currently, he continues to innovate at the intersection of high-performance computing and engineering simulation, exploring novel visualization techniques for large particle-based simulations and pioneering applications of machine learning to enhance the analysis of complex simulation results.
