Chris Brace is Professor of Automotive Propulsion and Academic Director of the Institute Advanced Automotive Propulsion Systems. Chris is Co-Director of the Centre for Doctoral Training in Advanced Propulsion Systems. Chris leads the Advanced Propulsion Centre Spoke for Thermal Propulsion System Efficiency and is a member of the Academic Advisory Board of FISITA (Fédération Internationale des Sociétés d'Ingénieurs des Techniques de l'Automobile). He is a past chair of the Automobile Division of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE). 

Chris leads a wide portfolio of propulsion systems research into topics including hybrid Diesel and SI engine systems, electrification, advanced transmission systems and driving behaviour. The research has two main themes. First - new technologies that can deliver more sustainable propulsion systems. Secondly - the design of new techniques to support the automotive sector progression towards a more virtual product development process. These strands come together through the development of novel and intensive measurement and simulation techniques for multi physics processes, leading to greater insight into system behaviour under dynamic operating conditions. 

All of Chris’s research is in collaboration with industry, most notably Ford Motor Company and Jaguar LandRover. Chris has published over 120 conference and journal papers with over 50 industrial co-authors and attracted over £20 million for collaborative research funded by EPSRC, DTi, TSB/Innovate UK, APC and directly from industry.