• Welcome to the Portela Research Group at MIT

    We are a mechanics & materials group interested in designing and implementing 3D architected materials to address current societal and engineering challenges

About the Portela Group

Our group is interested in designing, fabricating, and testing novel types of materials from the nanoscale to the macro-scale. We strive to produce our own materials via advanced nano-to-macro fabrication processes, predict their response using numerical models, and test them using pioneering techniques.

Meet the Team!

We are a diverse team of scientists, researchers, and students interested in topics ranging from theory, to computation, to experiments of materials and structures.

Research Highlights

Somu wins the Wunsch silent hoist and crane award for excellence in research at MIT MechE
Congratulations to Somu on winning the Wunsch Silent Hoist and Crane Award …
James named to the Forbes 30 and Under 30 Asia: Healthcare & Science list
Our postdoctoral associate James Surjadi has been named to the Forbes 30 and …
Somu wins MRS Student Award Silver Medal at MRS Spring 2025
Somu has been awarded the MRS Student Award (Silver Medal) at the …
 Carlos Portela awarded the Army Early Career Program Award
Prof. Carlos Portela has been awarded the Army Early Career Program Award …