Vikram Deshpande is an engineer who has made significant contributions in fields ranging from the design of micro-architectured materials to modelling soft and active materials. His innovations have helped define the modern frontiers of solid mechanics. Examples of his work include: (i) invention of a new class of architected materials for diverse applications including lightweight structures, energy absorption and shock mitigation; (ii) development of theories to exploit fluid-structure interaction effects to enhance the blast resistance of land and sea vehicles; (iii) creation of computational tools for interrogating the high-temperature performance of alloys used in engines and (iv) unravelling the role of entropic forces in mechano-transduction within living cells.

Vikram’s ability to combine theoretical understanding with insightful experiments has had a major impact in materials engineering. He is the recipient of several awards including the 2020 Rodney Hill Prize in Solid Mechanics, the 2018 Sir William Hopkins Prize in Mathematical and Physical Sciences, and the Philip Leverhulme Prize.