Data Scientist · PhD in Computational Mechanics

Umair
Hussain

Bridging the gap between physics-based simulation and data-driven AI — building intelligent solutions for complex engineering problems.

Umair Hussain

About

I am a Data Scientist at ChampionX (now part of SLB), developing AI and machine learning solutions for the oil & gas industry. My work sits at the intersection of data science and physics — building models that don't just fit data but respect the underlying physics of the systems they describe.

My technical foundation comes from a PhD at IIT Madras, where I specialized in computational mechanics, phase field modeling, and finite element methods. My doctoral research focused on modeling the electrochemical responses of Li-ion battery anodes using a coupled multiphysics framework — solving chemical diffusion under stress, coupled with electrochemical reactions.

I am proficient in the open-source C++ FEM library deal.II, and have contributed a standalone phase field solver to its code gallery. I also enhanced simulation performance by 60% through MPI parallelization using PETSc.

Phase Field Modeling Finite Element Method Machine Learning C++ Python MATLAB deal.II PETSc TensorFlow Parallel Computing Gaussian Process Regression Multiphysics Modeling Abaqus ParaView Linux
Education
M.S. + Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering
2019 – 2025  ·  CGPA 9.39
B.Tech in Mechanical Engineering
2015 – 2019  ·  CGPA 9.66
Awards & Fellowships
Prime Minister Research Fellowship (PMRF)
2019 – 2024  ·  ₹36.6L Fellowship
Half-time Research Assistantship (HTRA)
2019 – 2020

Research

Ph.D. Thesis
Electrochemical Responses During Lithiation of High Capacity Anode in Li-Ion Battery
Supervisors: Dr. Narasimhan Swaminathan & Dr. Gandham Phanikumar · IIT Madras

Developed a coupled multiphysics framework using phase field modeling to simulate the electrochemical behavior of Li-ion battery anodes during (dis)charging. The model captures chemical diffusion under mechanical stress, coupled with electrochemical boundary conditions via Butler-Volmer kinetics.

  • Demonstrated the impact of phase transformation, electrode size, and mechanical stresses on electrochemical responses using voltammograms — covering both elastic and elasto-plastic deformation regimes.
  • Developed a generalized multi-phase field solver capable of handling multiple coexisting phases, including in-depth analysis of model parameters and their mapping to physical factors.
  • Applied the multi-phase field framework to the peritectic solidification problem, demonstrating its versatility beyond battery systems.
  • Implemented all solvers in deal.II (C++ FEM library) and contributed a standalone crystal growth solver to its public code gallery.
  • Achieved 60% performance improvement via MPI parallelization using PETSc-based wrappers in deal.II.
Data-Driven Modeling for Predicting Microstructural Properties of Li-Ion Battery Electrodes
Collaborators: Dr. Anand Agrawal & Dr. Narasimhan Swaminathan · IIT Madras
Developed a Gaussian process regression model to predict Li-ion battery electrode performance from microstructural features like grain size — eliminating the need for expensive full simulations. Generated voltammogram datasets using FEM solvers (deal.II) with Butler-Volmer boundary conditions, and created microstructure meshes using Microgen and GMSH. The probabilistic model provides interpretable, uncertainty-aware predictions for electrode design optimization.

Publications

01
Journal Article
Probabilistic Modelling of the Nonlinear Mapping Between Voltammograms and the Grain Size of the Electrode Material in Li-Ion Batteries Using Optimally Tuned Gaussian Process Regression Models
A. K. Agrawal, N. Swaminathan, and U. Hussain
Journal of The Electrochemical Society, vol. 172, no. 1, p. 013501, 2025
DOI: 10.1149/1945-7111/ada0b6
02
Journal Article
Numerical Voltammetry of Phase Separating Materials Using Phase Field Modeling
U. Hussain, N. Swaminathan, and G. Phanikumar
Journal of The Electrochemical Society, vol. 171, no. 7, p. 070502, Jul. 2024
DOI: 10.1149/1945-7111/ad59cc
03
Journal Article
Mapping of Multiphase Field Model Parameters to Physical Factors in Order to Simulate Desired Phase Transformations
U. Hussain, G. Phanikumar, and N. Swaminathan
Computational Materials Science, vol. 226, p. 112227, Jun. 2023
DOI: 10.1016/J.COMMATSCI.2023.112227
04
Conference Proceedings
A Multi-Phase Field Framework Application to the Study of the Peritectic Reaction for an Arbitrary Material System
U. Hussain, N. Swaminathan, and G. Phanikumar
Recent Advances in Mechanics of Functional Materials and Structures · Springer Nature Singapore, 2024, pp. 231–240
DOI: 10.1007/978-981-99-5919-8_20
OS
Open Source
Crystal Growth Using Phase Field Modeling
U. Hussain
deal.II Code Gallery · Contributed standalone FEM solver
View in deal.II Gallery

Work Experience

May 2025 – Present
Data Scientist
ChampionX (now part of SLB)
  • Developing AI and physics-based models for artificial lift systems including sucker rod pumps and ESPs.
  • Working on corrosion prediction using machine learning for oil & gas applications.
Nov 2024 – April 2025
Research Analyst — Intern
ChampionX (now part of SLB)
  • Developed a FEM model for the sucker rod pump to predict the dynamometer (pump) card.
  • Built a machine learning pipeline to predict broken shaft events from sensor data.

Teaching Experience

Jul 2022 – Nov 2023
Teaching Assistant — Basics of Finite Element Analysis I & II  ·  FEM: Variational Methods to Programming
NPTEL
Feb 2022 – May 2022
Instructor — Short Course on Computational Tools
PSG Institute of Technology and Applied Research

Conference Presentations

Jul 2024 · Vancouver, Canada
16th World Congress on Computational Mechanics (WCCM 2024)
Sept 2023 · Barcelona, Spain
XVII International Conference on Computational Plasticity (Complas)
Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya (UPC)
Dec 2022 · Guwahati, India
8th Asian Conference on Mechanics of Functional Materials & Structures
IIT Guwahati
Jun 2022 · Bengaluru, India
ME@75: Research Frontiers
IISc Bangalore

Contact

Whether you're interested in research collaboration, discussing physics-informed AI, or exploring how computational mechanics meets data science — I'd love to hear from you.

Curriculum Vitae

Download my full CV for a detailed overview of my research, publications, and professional experience.

Download CV (PDF)

Also reachable at me19d704@smail.iitm.ac.in