Professor Mark Christopher Thompson obtained a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Monash in 1985. His doctoral project applied computer modelling of fluid flow to the application of the collapse of massive stars as they near the end of their lives. After this, he spent the next ten years at CSIRO, initially in the Division of Energy Technology and subsequently in the Division of Building, Construction and Engineering. Whilst at CSIRO, he developed software to model (earthbound) fluid flows, which was applied to projects with Comalco, Warman International and AMIRA, amongst other industries/industry groups. In 1995, he took up a role as senior lecturer in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Monash, where he has worked since. He has various senior roles during this time including the Associate Dean of Research Training between 2003-2007 and Head of the Department of Mechanical 

and Aerospace Engineering between 2008-2011. He was made a full Professor at the end of 2006.

 

His research while at Monash has concentrated on theoretical, computational and experimental modelling of fluid flows. He has developed various computer codes to compute fluid flows, mostly concentrating on 

flow stability, transition to turbulence and flows past stationary and vibrating blunt (i.e. not streamlined) objects. Beyond these theoretical focused contributions, he has also made contributions to bioengineering, 

turbomachinery, vehicle transport and sports aerodynamics, both through computer modelling and wind tunnel and water channel experiments. In 2015, he was awarded the (sole) Faculty research award and in 2018 he was made a fellow of the Australasian Fluid Mechanics Society. He is one of the top ten authors of the most highly regarded fluid mechanics journal over the last 15 years - the Journal of Fluid Mechanics.