Giovanniantonio Natale
Positions
Associate Professor
Schulich School of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Associate Head Research
Schulich School of Engineering, Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering
Contact information
Background
Educational Background
B.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Napoli, 2009
M.S. Chemical Engineering, University of Napoli, 2011
Doctor of Philosophy Chemical Engineering, Ecole Polytechnique de Montreal, 2015
Biography
Dr. Giovanniantonio Natale is an Associate Professor in the Department of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Calgary, where he leads the Complex Fluids Laboratory. He is recognized for his early research excellence in advanced materials for clean tech and biomedical applications, specializing in rheological characterization and microstructural probing.
Before coming to the University of Calgary, Dr. Natale was a post-doctoral fellow at the University of British Columbia. In the group of Prof. S. Hatzikiriakos, he worked on the dynamics of self-propelling particles in complex fluids. Dr. Natale holds a PhD from École Polytechnique de Montréal under the supervision of Prof. P.J. Carreau, M.C. Heuzey and J. Férec (from Université de Bretagne-Sud). There, he studied the rheology of rod-like particles suspensions and specifically, carbon nanotube suspensions.
Dr. Natale has skillfully merged experimental and modelling approaches to create technologies that bridge laboratory research and market application. For example, his groundbreaking research on Active Colloids (ACs)—self-propelling particles with applications in drug delivery and environmental remediation—pioneered scalable fabrication methods to reduce costs and enable commercialization. This includes patented biocompatible Janus particles for water purification and biological monitoring.
Dr. Natale’s team has recently branched into responsive hydrogels, sustainable biopolymers, and biomimetic aerogels to target critical challenges in biomedicine, carbon capture, and mineral extraction. His high-calibre work has attracted prestigious international collaborations and earned him leadership roles, including President of the Canadian Society of Rheology (2024-2028).
Courses
| Course number | Course title | Semester |
|---|---|---|
| ENCH 331 | Process Fluid Dynamics | Winter |
| ENCH 613 | AdvancedTopicsInMassTransfer | Winter |
| ENCH 631 | Advanced Topics Fluid Mechanic | Fall |
Projects
Dr. Natale’s research interests lie at the interface between rheology, soft matter and active/passive colloidal suspensions. A combination of modeling and experiments is applied to explain in depth the rheological behaviour of complex/structured fluids.
More details on the current research projects can be found in the personal webpage. The Complex Fluids Laboratory is always looking for new challenges and collaborations. Feel free to contact and visit us.
Awards
- Schulich School of Engineering Faculty Teaching Award, University of Calgary. 2019
- Schulich School of Engineering Departmental Teaching Achievement Award, University of Calgary. 2018
- Presentation Award , Annual European rheology conference (AERC). 2015
Publications
More Information
If you are interested in joining Dr. Natale’s Complex fluids laboratory, whether as an undergraduate or graduate student, or as a postdoctoral scholar, please contact him with your research background, a current CV, and a short one page statement of why you want to study colloidal science and/or rheology. Please, check the department guidelines to ensure that you will meet the requirements for admission: https://www.ucalgary.ca/future-students/graduate/explore-programs/chemical-petroleum-engineering-doctor-philosophy-thesis-based.
Experience in low Reynolds hydrodynamics, rheology, microscopy and colloidal science is definitely an asset. Also, researchers with different backgrounds than chemical engineering (physics, chemistry, applied mathematics, etc.) are also very welcome.
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