Projects per year
Personal profile
Biography
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.
Consulting
Previous industrial work with AMIRA, CRA, Comalco, Ford Europe
Research interests
Flow-induced vibration, Biological fluid dynamics, Aeroacoustics, Industrial fluid dynamics, Computational fluid dynamics, Aerodynamics, Flow instabilities, Wake flows, Bluff body flows
Research area keywords
- Biological Fluid Dynamics
- Computational Fluid Dynamics
- Industrial Flows
- Bluff Body Flows
- Wakes
- Fluid-Structure Interaction
- Flow Instabilities
- Flow Induced Vibration
- Aeroacoustics
- Vehicle Aerodynamics
- Turbo Machinery
- Biological Engineering
- Flow Transition
- Flow Stability
- Sports Aerodynamics
- High Reynolds Number Flows
Expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals
In 2015, UN member states agreed to 17 global Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) to end poverty, protect the planet and ensure prosperity for all. This person’s work contributes towards the following SDG(s):
-
SDG 3 Good Health and Well-being -
SDG 7 Affordable and Clean Energy
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
Recent external collaboration on country/territory level. Dive into details by clicking on the dots or
Projects
- 7 Finished
-
Wind Comfort Simulation and New Engineering Design Process
Burton, D. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Thompson, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Tudball-Smith, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Wang, S. (Chief Investigator (CI))
17/05/22 → 29/09/23
Project: Research
-
The Mechanisms determining the Rolling Motions of Bodies
Hourigan, K. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Thompson, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Leweke, T. (Partner Investigator (PI))
19/12/20 → 19/08/24
Project: Research
-
Understanding flapping aerodynamics in non-optimal environments
Thompson, M. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Sheridan, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Lo Jacono, D. (Partner Investigator (PI))
ARC - Australian Research Council
1/04/19 → 28/10/24
Project: Research
-
Wake Transitions and Fluid-Structure Interactions of Rotating Bluff Bodies
Hourigan, K. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Lo Jacono, D. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Sheridan, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Thompson, M. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Leweke, T. (Partner Investigator (PI))
ARC - Australian Research Council, Monash University, CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (French National Centre for Scientific Research), Université Paul Sabatier (Paul Sabatier University)
1/01/15 → 6/11/18
Project: Research
-
Engineering a Novel Bioreactor and Cell Sorter for Pluripotent Stem Cell Culture
Verma, P. (Primary Chief Investigator (PCI)), Bellare, J. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Cheng, W. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Hourigan, K. (Chief Investigator (CI)), Jadhav, S. (Chief Investigator (CI)) & Thompson, M. (Chief Investigator (CI))
Department of Industry, Science and Resources (Australia)
1/07/11 → 7/08/14
Project: Research
-
A novel passive flow control method employing vortex generators to suppress wake flow characteristics of a high-speed train: Mechanism and application
Han, S., Zhang, J., Tudball-Smith, D., Burton, D. & Thompson, M., Jan 2026, In: Journal of Central South University. 33, p. 484–505 22 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
15 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
De-noising and super-resolution of fluid-flow velocity measurements by optimising a discrete loss (ODIL)
Terrington, S., Thompson, M. & Hourigan, K., Jan 2026, In: International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow. 117, Part A, 20 p., 109988.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access -
Flow-induced vibration of an elastically mounted oblate spheroid with variable mass ratio
Cordero Obando, A., Hourigan, K., Thompson, M. C. & Zhao, J., Jan 2026, In: International Journal of Heat and Fluid Flow. 117, Part B, 12 p., 110129.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
1 Link opens in a new tab Citation (Scopus) -
Aerodynamics of two rough circular cylinders placed side by side subject to postcritical flow
Pasam, A., Tudball Smith, D., Burton, D. & Thompson, M. C., Jan 2025, In: Physics of Fluids. 37, 1, 23 p., 015105.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access2 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus) -
Cooling of a discrete heat source inside a horizontal channel linked with a composite open-cavity or protrusion
Abdul-Zahra, A. S., Al-Sumaily, G. F., Hussen, H. M., Thompson, M. C. & Dhahad, H. A., May 2025, In: Thermal Science and Engineering Progress. 61, 21 p., 103500.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › Research › peer-review
Open Access3 Link opens in a new tab Citations (Scopus)
Activities
- 3 Editorial responsibility
-
Elsevier (Publisher)
Bottaro, A. (Editor in chief), Thompson, M. (Editor in chief), Hourigan, K. (Editor in chief) & Braza, M. (Editor in chief)
2015Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
-
International Journal of Fluid Dynamics (Journal)
Hourigan, K. (Editor in chief), Thompson, M. (Editor in chief) & Sheridan, J. (Editor in chief)
1998Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility
-
International Journal of Fluid Dynamics (Journal)
Thompson, M. (Editor in chief)
1997Activity: Publication peer-review and editorial work types › Editorial responsibility