Dr Kumar Mithraratne

Biography

Kumar graduated with a Bachelor of Science of Engineeering in Chemical Engineering from the University of Moratuwa, Sri Lanka. He received a Master of Science with Distinction from the University of London (King's College London) and a PhD from the National University of Singapore, both in Mechanical Engineering.

Kumar is a recipient of the British Government Technical Corporation fellowship and a University of Auckland Postdoctoral Fellowship.

Kumar joined the Auckland Bioengineering Institute in 2000 is now a Principal Investigator.
 

Research | Current

Kumar is currently working on musculoskeletal system biomechanics and facial animation using biophysically-based models.

His primary research interests are:

• soft tissue continuum mechanics,

• joint mechanics,

• finite element analysis,

• gait analysis and flow mechanics.

Research Group

Musculoskeletal Modelling

Grants and Consultancy work

• 2013 - 2017 "Architectured Material"
  Role: UoA Consultant/PI and Collaborator 
  Value: NZD 178,856 (Total grant value NZD 3,000,000 to Callaghan Innovation NZ from Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, New Zealand
  Funding agency: Callaghan Innovation NZ/inistry of Business, Innovation and Employment, New Zealand. 
• 2013 - 2014 "Biomechanical Modelling to Explain Tophus Formation and Bone Erosion in Gout"
  Role: Co-investigator
  Grant value: NZD 117,300
  Funding agency: Auckland Medical Research Foundation, New Zealand.
• 2013 - 2014 "Bi-planar Fluroscopic Imaging of the Shoulder Complex"
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Grant value: NZD 12,500
  Funding agency: Faculty Research Development Fund, University of Auckland, New Zealand.
• 2013 - 2014 "Fast Fracture"
  Role: Co-investigator
  Grant value: NZD 1,000,000
  Funding agency: Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, New Zealand.
• 2011 - 2014 "Expressive Heads and Hands"
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Grant value: NZD 1,500,000
  Funding agency: Ministry of Science and Innovation, New Zealand.
• 2007 - 2010 "Biomechanics for Animation"
  Role: Principal Investigator
  Grant value: NZD 1,000,000
  Funding agency: Foundation for Research, Science and Technology, New Zealand.
   

Teaching | Current

ENGSCI772 Whole Organ Modelling (2005 - 2013)
 

Postgraduate supervision

Current

PhD

• Hooman Zarreh, Fracture Mechanics 

• Nalaka Samaraweera, Phonon-Governed Heat Conduction in Nanostructures

• Elias Soltani, Modelling Thermoregulation of the Human Body

• Yunru Ma (with Dr Yanxin Zhang ,Department of Exercise Sciences), Using Biomechanical simulation to predict treatment outcomes of cerebral palsy patients with equinus gait

Completed

PhD

• Ted Yeung (2016), Inverse Kinematics of the Shoulder Complex

• Massoud Alipour (2015), An Anatomically accurate Finite Element of Skeletal Muscle for Improved Characterisation of Muscle Deformation

• Desney Greybe (2015), Forearm Mechanics and Its Implication on the Distal Radioulnar Joint

• Tim Wu (2013), A Computational Framework for Modelling the Biomechanics of Human Facial Expressions

• Alice Hung (2012), An Anatomically-based Biomechanics Model of the Face for Simulating Facial Expressions

• Katja Oberhofer (2010), Anatomically-based, Subject-specific modelling of Lower Limb Motion During Gait

ME

• Wencke Hansen (2011), Three-dimensional Model of Tibio-Femoral Articulation                                 

• Jongeun Son (2010), Blood Flow Modelling in Deforming Skeletal Muscle

• Sarah Cox (2007), Computational Ergonomics: An Anatomically-based Finite Element Model of the Lower Limbs in the Seated Posture

Distinctions/Honours

• Top 100 Research Revenue Earner of the University of Auckland 2015
• Top 100 Research Revenue Earner of the University of Auckland 2014

Responsibilities

Principal Investigator

Areas of expertise

• Joint mechanics (upper limb kinematics involving shoulder complex, forearm and hand and lower limb involving gait analysis, foot and knee),
• Finite and linear deformation analysis of biological and engineering structures,
• Application of engineering principles to predict facial expressions using anatomically realistic and physically accurate mathematical models,
• Computational fluid mechanics (dynamic flow modelling in circulatory system including cutaneous blood flow),
• Finite element analysis
• Finite difference methods
• Mesh based particle methods (arbitrary Lagrangian-Eulerian)
• Heat Transfer, thermal modelling of buildings and refrigeration and air-conditioning
• Computational software development (CMISS and OpenCMISS)