Kunwar Mrityunjai Sharma, Ph.D.
Quantitative analyst and senior researcher with a Ph.D. from IIT Bombay and over 6.5 years of experience in numerical modeling, environmental risk characterization, and multi-stakeholder project delivery. Experienced in leading cross-functional consortia, preparing competitive business and research proposals, and delivering advisory-level technical reports to national regulators across the Nordics. Skilled at translating complex quantitative data into clear strategic recommendations, financial and technical project plans, and risk assessments for energy, waste management, and sustainability projects.
Areas of Expertise
Quantitative & Technical Analysis
- Numerical simulation & finite element modeling
- Scenario modeling & environmental risk assessment
- Data-worth analysis & Bayesian calibration
- Sensitivity analysis & uncertainty quantification
Project & Consortium Management
- Cross-border multi-partner consortium leadership
- Budget allocation & financial milestone tracking
- Risk mitigation & quality compliance monitoring
- Multi-agency institutional coordination
Proposal & Business Development
- Scoping client requirements & industrial contracts
- Drafting bilateral competitive project bids
- Authoring multi-partner EU Horizon funding bids
- Client pipeline technical translation
Stakeholder & Regulatory Advisory
- Direct liaison with Nordic regulators (SSM Sweden, NND Norway)
- Translating numerical outputs for decision makers
- Technical compliance reviews for deep repositories
- Long-term containment safety assessments
Software & Scientific Computing
- Programming: Python (NumPy, SciPy, PyTorch, GeoPandas, Scikit-Learn), C++, MATLAB, R, SQL, Bash
- Simulation: COMSOL Multiphysics, pychan3d, Finite Element Solvers
- Spatial Tools: QGIS, ArcGIS, Mesh Generation Tools
Data Principles & Governance
- FAIR and CARE research data management
- Git version control & open-source package pipelines
- Automated test suites & open documentation
- Active learning & semantic segmentation workflows
Professional Experience
Senior Scientist | VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland
May 2023 - June 2026 | Espoo, Finland- Analyzed cyclic triaxial compaction and consolidation datasets for clay and bentonite materials, evaluating deformation and sealing under high mechanical stress.
- Engineered computational pipelines in Python implementing active learning algorithms to isolate high-uncertainty observations and optimize experimental sampling schedules.
- Jointly coordinated a research consortium comprising VTT, the Geological Survey of Finland (GTK), and the University of Jyväskylä, managing milestones, cross-team data delivery, and technical reports.
- Directed code modernization for the pychan3d hydrogeological simulation package, introducing modular data architectures, test suites, and open documentation.
- Provided technical guidance to research staff on numerical modeling and statistical data interpretation.
Researcher | Uppsala University
Dec 2021 - Dec 2022 | Uppsala, Sweden- Micro-to-Macro Subsurface Modeling: Built high-resolution 3D models to evaluate transport pathways and pore-scale connectivity under low-permeability conditions.
- Data Integration & Sensitivity Pipelines: Developed automated pipelines to integrate structural scan data and borehole logs from the Äspö Hard Rock Laboratory, assessing parameter sensitivities under sparse observations.
- Technical Reporting: Prepared compliance documentation and technical assessments for Swedish national regulatory review.
Postdoctoral Researcher | Uppsala University
Dec 2019 - Dec 2021 | Uppsala, Sweden- Diagnostic Structural Connectivity: Formulated diagnostic methods to quantify spatial heterogeneity and fractional connectivity in discontinuous media.
- Inverse Modeling & Calibration: Integrated heterogeneous experimental datasets using data-worth analysis to reduce non-uniqueness and improve predictive accuracy.
- 3D Lattice Algorithmic Optimization: Optimized algorithms to translate 3D structural mapping datasets into computational simulation grids.
Research Associate | IIT Bombay
Apr 2019 - Sep 2019 | Mumbai, India- Microscale Multiphysics Modeling: Conducted finite element simulations in COMSOL Multiphysics coupling Navier-Stokes and Darcy-Brinkman fluid mechanics across complex pore and fracture geometries.
- Structural Analysis: Collaborated with engineering geology groups to evaluate pore pressure distribution and mechanical displacement.
Doctoral Researcher | IIT Bombay
July 2015 - Apr 2019 | Mumbai, India- Porous Media Analysis: Evaluated non-linear flow regimes, geometry variations, and hydraulic conductivity across physical specimens through laboratory testing and numerical solvers.
- Mathematical Formulation: Developed dual-porosity models to quantify dynamic matrix-pore fluid exchange.
Key Research & Technical Projects
Waste Characterisation & Disposal Methodology (NND Project)
Executed technical evaluations across two dedicated work packages delivering detailed radioactive waste characterisation and technical recommendations on deep repository disposal methods for Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning.
Constitutive & Geotechnical Modeling (SAFER-SAGE)
Executed constitutive and statistical modeling of cyclic triaxial test data to evaluate non-linear deformation, shear strength, and hydro-mechanical sealing limits of compacted soils under extreme confining stress.
Subsurface Flow & Table Dynamics (GG_LIFECYCLE)
Formulated coupled numerical simulations to predict transient rainfall infiltration, groundwater table fluctuations, and long-term drainage performance around containment systems.
Stochastic Network & Transport Modeling (pychan3d / SSM Project)
Optimized and refactored the open-source pychan3d library in Python and C++, generating large-scale stochastic channel networks to simulate transport pathways and breakthrough times under sparse data constraints.
Transient Pressure & Flow-Dimension Analysis
Developed an apparent flow-dimension methodology to detect structural anomalies and spatial heterogeneity from noisy, transient hydraulic data streams in crystalline rock.
Soft Computing for Soil Characterization
Built artificial neural network (ANN) models to predict the modulus of elasticity and mechanical properties of soils from index testing data, replacing slow empirical correlations with data-driven surrogates.
Positions of Responsibility
Project Manager
Directed project scope, budget allocation, technical milestones, and client reporting for multi-scale subsurface flow and infiltration dynamics.
Deputy Project Manager
Co-managed a multi-institution research consortium involving VTT, GTK, and University of Jyväskylä, overseeing research deliverables and hazard characterization.
Coordinator (Activities & Games)
Organized inter-departmental technical presentations, poster sessions, and cross-functional scientific discussions.
Marketing & Sponsorship
Led digital marketing and sponsorship drives for national engineering geology conference at IIT Bombay.
Registration Coordinator
Coordinated delegate logistics, registrations, and technical session execution at IIT Bombay.
Team Leader & Invigilator
Supervised field team operations and environmental monitoring programs across forest divisions.
Consultancy & Industrial Work
Client Technical Advisory | Norwegian Nuclear Decommissioning (NND)
Delivered numerical evaluation reports and predictive transport analysis for radioactive waste containment and licensing reviews.
Slope Stability & Rockfall Mitigation | Pune-Mumbai Expressway
Performed field investigations, discontinuity mapping, and kinematic slope stability analysis to design rockfall protection systems along transport corridors.
Heritage Infrastructure Stability Assessment | Sinhagad Fort
Conducted field geotechnical evaluations and structural slope stability assessments to prevent rockfall hazards along heritage access roads.
Foundation & Slope Stability Evaluation | Halkara Building Site
Analyzed foundation condition data, rock mass stability, and retaining requirements for urban infrastructure development.
Underground Tunnel Stability Analysis | Kiratpur-Manali Highway
Evaluated rock mass properties and excavation support requirements for high-altitude transport tunnel construction.
Geomechanical Investigation | Saptashringi Gad Temple
Assessed joint orientation kinematics and slope stability to safeguard pilgrimage walkways from rockfall hazards.
Advanced Interactive Computational Simulations
MODFLOW-USG / USG-Transport v2.8.0
Simulates advanced groundwater flow & transport using unstructured grids, Connected Linear Networks (CLN), and PFAS chain decay.
Slope Stability & Multi-Layer Assessor
Computes Factor of Safety ($FS$) across user-defined multi-layer soil/rock profiles with pore pressure ratios ($r_u$).
KBS-3 Canister Spacing & Thermal Sandbox
Examines thermal decay and plume interference across KBS-3 nuclear waste canisters at -450 m depth.
Soil-Atmosphere Carbon & GHG Flux
Simulates trace gas exchanges (COâ‚‚, CHâ‚„, Nâ‚‚O) and soil temperature/moisture coupling under dynamic weather drivers.
2D Aquifer Contaminant Plume
Features FDM groundwater flow solver, point-source placement, extraction capture zones, and dispersion dynamics.
2D Channel Network Model (CNM)
Features FDM Gauss-Seidel hydraulic solver and flow-proportional particle advective transport.
Research Blog & Articles
Published technical articles and notes synced directly from Notion database storage.
Education & Academic Credentials
Ph.D. in Hydrogeology & Engineering Geology
Thesis: Numerical Analysis of fluid flow through rock discontinuities
M.Sc. in Applied Geology
Dissertation: Effect of discontinuities on the permeability of the rock mass
Coursework: Groundwater Geology, Statistical Methods, Programming, Modern Analytical Methods
B.Sc. (Honours) in Geology
Comprehensive foundation in Earth System Science, Structural Geology, Petrology, Stratigraphy, Hydrogeology, and Engineering Geology.
Collaborative Institutional Network
Active research and engineering collaborations across European and North American institutions:
Publications & Scientific Output
Author of 17 peer-reviewed journal articles and 9 international conference proceedings in premier hydrogeological and geomechanical journals, including Water Resources Research, Advances in Water Resources, Hydrogeology Journal, and Journal of Nuclear Fuel Cycle and Waste Technology.
Invited Lectures & International Conferences:
- European Geosciences Union (EGU General Assembly), Vienna, Austria
- Computational Methods in Water Resources (CMWR), Gdańsk, Poland
- American Geophysical Union (AGU Fall Meeting), USA
- Department of Civil Engineering, Monash University, Melbourne, Australia
Extracurricular Activities & Leadership
Music & Stage Performance
- Live concerts before audiences exceeding 1,000 attendees at the Helsinki Annual Fest (2024, 2025, 2026).
- Featured performances at the Stockholm Cultural Fest (2020, 2021, 2022).
- Winner of Battle of the Bands (PG Cult, IIT Bombay, 2016 - 2017).
- Proficient keyboardist and active drum learner.
Competitive Sports & Strategy
- Active competitive chess player with a 1450 rating.
- Winner of the PG Sports Cricket Tournament, IIT Bombay (2013 - 2014).
- Winner of the Energy Science Premier League (ESPL) Cricket Tournament, IIT Bombay.
Honors & Creative Arts
- Awarded "Jewel of Hostel 16", IIT Bombay (2013 - 2014) for residential leadership.
- Conferred the "Rajya Puraskar" (Governor's Award) for Scout and Guide Services (2007).
- Regional awards in competitive dance and institutional recognition for photography.
Get In Touch
Open for technical consulting, regulatory advisory, research consortium collaborations, and quantitative modeling projects.
Espoo, Finland 02150 | Phone: +358 504795111