Sridhar Idapalapati is currently an Associate Professor at the Nanyang Technological University (NTU). He is a Cambridge Nehru Scholar and holds a Ph.D. in mechanics of solids from the University of Cambridge and a first-class honours (with distinction) degree in mechanical engineering from the Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University (JNTU), India. He also holds a master of technology degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, (IIT) Kanpur, India, specializing in mechanics of solids and design. Prior to joining NTU, he worked as a visiting scientist at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), USA, and, prior to that, as a research associate at Cambridge University Engineering Department, UK. He has researched extensively in areas such as thin films, ultrasonic NDT, manufacturing processes, sandwich panel design, nanotribology, and cellular solids.