JAVIER LÓPEZ LARA

Head of Climate Risks, Adaptation and Resilience Group

Main Researcher

jav.lopez@unican.es

+34 942 20 16 16 Ext. 56205

 

Biography

Javier López Lara is Full Professor at the Universidad de Cantabria (UC). He is also the head of Climate Risks, Adaptation and Resilience Group of IHCantabria. Javier graduated as a Civil Engineer (1998) from the Universidad de Cantabria and obtained his PhD in 2002 from the same university. After holding various positions as a researcher at the Universidad de Cantabria and at Cornell University (USA), he obtained a position as “Ramón y Cajal” (2008-2012) in the Department of Water Science and Technology at UC, where he is currently a sub-director.

Javier has developed his research in the field of wave hydrodynamics, specializing also surf zone hydrodynamics and wave-structure interactions, using both experimental and numerical methods, the latter focusing mainly on CFD codes. In recent years he has extended his research to environmental flows, hydrodynamics of aquatic ecosystems and hydraulics. Through his research he was awarded the Modesto Vigueras Prize 2004, granted by the Technical Association of Ports and Coastal Areas, Spanish branch of the International Ports Association (PIANC) and the International Research Prize “Paepe-Willems” (PIANC), in 2005, granted to researchers under 40 years old.

Javier is currently Principal Investigator in several projects funded by the Spanish Scince Ministry, competitive projects financed by the Spanish Innnovation Ministry and different EU Proyects. He has published 52 SCI research papers and 8 book chapters. He has advised 45 MSc and bachelor thesis and 12 PhD dissertations. He has coauthored more than one hundred national and international congress communications.

RESEARCH LINES

Numerical modeling of the interaction of waves with coastal and offshore structures.

Hydrodynamic modeling of wave interaction with vegetation.

Probabilistic design of infrastructures.

Surf zone Hydrodynamics.

Infragravity wave transformation in the surf zone and wave run-up in coastal areas.

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