A scientist from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Wrocław University of Science and Technology is one of the five winners of this year's Scientific Awards of the weekly Polityka. The editors of the periodical appreciated his achievements in the field of technical sciences.

Awards and scholarships (currently amounting to 15,000 PLN) have been granted by Polityka since 2001. So far, 317 young outstanding Polish scientists who boast exceptional achievements in their disciplines have received the awards.

The winner of the 19th edition of the programme in the field of technical sciences was  Mariusz Ptak, PhD, assistant professor at the Department of Machine Construction and Research at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering of Wrocław University of Science and Technology.

The researcher’s current work focuses on improving methods of diagnosing and imaging the influence of loads on brain structure, simulating the consequences of road accidents, and improving head protection devices, including bicycle and motorcycle helmets. We wrote about his research in texts including this one.

Together with the aHEAD project team, he developed three numerical models of the head: an elderly person’s, an adult’s, and a child’s, enabling the examination of injuries in people of different ages. His original idea is a multi-sensor headband featuring an electroencephalography system, which makes it possible to record overloads acting on the head.

Mariusz Ptak, PhD is a graduate of two faculties of Wrocław University of Science and Technology - production management and engineering as well as machine mechanics and construction. He obtained his engineer’s degree at the University of Coventry during a student exchange. He works at the Department of Computer-Aided Design and Experimental Research at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. He was a member of the TOP 500 Innovators programme. In September 2015, he was awarded a scholarship by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education recognising scientists who conduct high-quality research and have substantial international scientific achievements.

A participant in many important research projects, he has also authored or co-authored 40 articles in renowned international journals. He has also filed several patent applications and carried out a few major industrial implementation projects.