Personal profile
Biography
Dr. Muhammad Ahmad joined the Department of Mechanical and Construction Engineering at Northumbria University as an Assistant Professor in Mechanical Engineering in February 2026. He previously served as Senior Research Fellow and Associate Lecturer within the department and was Chief Technology Officer (CTO) of EcoTechX, an Innovate UK spinout from Northumbria University, where he led the commercialization of sustainable cooling technologies.
He completed his PhD at Northumbria University in 2024, and holds an MSc in Mechanical Engineering from King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals and a BSc in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore.
Dr. Ahmad’s research focuses on sustainable thermal systems and advanced cooling technologies, integrating AI/ML-driven optimization for energy–water–environment applications. His work supports the low-carbon transition and climate-resilient infrastructure development. He has published in top-ranked journals, and his work is featured in the UNESCO Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS) and the Oxford Research Encyclopedia of Environmental Science. He has contributed as Research Co-Lead to projects exceeding £3 million in funding, including the EPSRC Ayrton Challenge Fund (S2COOL), and has received multiple technology innovation awards from ASHRAE, IMechE, and IET.
Dr. Ahmad teaches across undergraduate and postgraduate programs in thermodynamics, energy systems, and multidisciplinary design and optimization. He is a two-time recipient of the Northumbria University Student-Led Teaching Award (2023 & 2024).
He is a Chartered Engineer (CEng, IMechE) and a Fellow of Advance HE (FHEA).
Education/Academic qualification
Mechanical Engineering, PhD, Design and Develeopment of a Novel Indirect Evaporative Cooler Towards Net Zero
18 Jan 2021 → 25 Jan 2024
Award Date: 25 Jan 2024
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 4 Quality Education
-
SDG 9 Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure
Fingerprint
- 1 Similar Profiles
Collaborations and top research areas from the last five years
-
An Innovative Approach to Hybridizing Two Established Desalination Technologies or Toward Ensuring a Future Global Water Supply: Using a Hybrid Multieffect Desalination with an Adsorption Cycle
Shahzad, M. W. & Jamil, M. A., 1 Feb 2026, The Oxford Encyclopedia of Water Resources Management and Policy. Whittington, D. (ed.). Oxford: Oxford University Press, p. 1254-1292 39 p.Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Chapter › peer-review
-
Comprehensive review of desalination: Techniques, renewable energy integration, and the role of artificial intelligence
Jamil, S., Ahmad, M., Mustafa, J. & Shahzad, M. W., 1 Mar 2026, In: International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer. 172, Part 6, p. 1-23 23 p., 110733.Research output: Contribution to journal › Review article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus) -
Experimental study on advanced indirect evaporative cooling and desiccant dehumidification systems for agricultural greenhouses
Raza, H. M. U., Sultan, M., Aleem, M., Shahzad, M. W., Jamil, M. A., Miyazaki, T., Sajjad, U., Farooq, M. & Zhang, Z., 1 Mar 2026, In: International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer. 172, Part 2, 27 p., 110321.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile2 Citations (Scopus)2 Downloads (Pure) -
Experiments and CFD based design and analysis of a novel indirect evaporative cooler for future sustainability
Ahmad, M., Ikhlaq, M., Mehroz, M., Yaqoob, H., Worek, W. & Shahzad, M. W., 1 Apr 2026, In: Applied Thermal Engineering. 290, Part 2, 12 p., 130156.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Open AccessFile1 Citation (Scopus) -
Experiments and CFD simulation of a novel mist based indirect evaporative cooling system for future sustainability
Imtiaz, N., Wahid, M. A., Kamaruzaman, N., Aleem, M., Sultan, M. & Ahmad, M., 1 Aug 2026, In: International Communications in Heat and Mass Transfer. 177, p. 1-10 10 p., 111500.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
Thesis
-
Design and development of resilient air conditioning system towards net-zero
Ahmad, M. (Author), Xu, B. (Supervisor) & Shahzad, M. W. (Supervisor), 25 Jan 2024Student thesis: Doctoral Thesis
File