Rux Energy is proud to celebrate an outstanding achievement by Rux Energy’s Dr Junghao (Kris) Ke, who was recognised as the 2026 Young Scientist by the Asian Union of Thermal Science and Engineering (AUTSE).

Kris is a Rux Energy funded post-doctoral fellow from the University of Sydney School of Aerospace, Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering under the supervision of Prof. Anna Paradowska and is the first Australian researcher to receive the award since it was established in 2017.

This is a significant international recognition of both the quality and impact of Kris’s research, and demonstrates the quality and calibre of the Rux Energy research team. 

Presented every two years, the AUTSE Young Scientist Award recognises outstanding researchers under the age of 35 from across the Asia-Pacific region, based on the scientific quality, originality and significance of their contributions to thermal sciences and engineering.

Dr Junghao (Kris) Ke receives the 2026 Young Scientist Award at 18th International Heat Transfer Conference (IHTC18) in Rio de Janeiro, August 2026

Kris received the award at the 18th International Heat Transfer Conference (IHTC18) in Rio de Janeiro, one of the world’s major international forums for heat-transfer research, held only once every four years.

As part of the recognition, Kris delivered an award lecture showcasing his research in natural convection, turbulence and heat transfer. His work in these fields has been published in the Journal of Fluid Mechanics, with his 2023 research also the subject of a Focus on Fluids commentary.