Andrew Neils

Andrew Neils is a Research Assistant Professor on the engineering team at the Roux Institute. Neils’ research at the Roux Institute is at the intersection of materials development, mechanics of materials, and manufacturing with applications to aerospace, defense and biomedical industries. He applies the process-structure-property paradigm in materials science to develop stronger, lighter, and tougher architected metamaterials, as well as functional materials and coatings with enhanced corrosion and oxidative stability—such as ceramic coatings for high-temperature gas turbine engines.

He also conducts applied research in additive manufacturing (AM), including generative design and topology optimization, to address challenges faced by manufacturers in Maine and the New England region, the Department of Defense, NASA, and the broader scientific community. His work spans multiple AM technologies, including powder bed fusion, directed energy deposition, and cold spray additive manufacturing.

Neils holds bachelor’s degrees in chemical engineering and biology from Bucknell University and a master’s and Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from the University of Virginia, where he investigated the mechanical properties of additively manufactured metal lattice structures. Before joining the Roux Institute, he served as the Chief Executive Officer of Topologica, Inc., a startup developing patent-protected additively manufactured polymer foams for NFL football helmets. He also spent five years at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA, conducting materials science research on the polymer liners used in total joint arthroplasty.

His relevant skills include materials selection, design for additive manufacturing, finite element modeling, mechanical testing, polymer 3D printing and prototyping, and metallurgy. He has extensive experience in materials characterization, including scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, X-ray computed tomography for crystalline materials, as well as Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry, and thermogravimetric analysis for soft matter. Additionally, his work integrates AI/ML applications into manufacturing processes, such as data-driven part qualification.

Outside the lab, Neils enjoys being out on the trails, and he is an ultramarathoner, gravel cyclist, and former Olympic trialist in rowing.