Cheikh Tidiane DIOUM
I’m interested in scientific questions where understanding the physical mechanisms can lead to practical solutions in industry.
Role in the LeidenForce project
- [PhD Student] université de liège (ulg) • belgium 🇧🇪
- [principal investigator] stephane dorbolo
- [Research topic] Particle trapping and releasing
Personal profile and backgroung
Who are you and what is your background?
My name is Cheikh Tidiane Dioum. I’m 24 years old and originally from Senegal.
Before starting my PhD, I spent five years studying in France. I started with a University Diploma of Technology in Physical Measurements, followed by an engineering degree in the energy field at ENSEM, in Nancy.
During my studies, I also completed four years of apprenticeship at ArcelorMittal’s R&D center in Maizières-lès-Metz, where I gained solid experience in experimental work and numerical simulations related to heat transfer and fluid mechanics in steelmaking processes.
What does scientific research mean to you?
For me, scientific research is about being curious and trying to understand how things really work. It means:
- Asking clear questions
- Testing ideas with experiments or simulations
- Validating the results using theory
A mentor, a meeting, or a defining moment?
What inspired me the most was being surrounded by researchers working on very exciting and challenging topics during my time at ArcelorMittal.
Seeing how they approached complex problems, discussed ideas, and connected experiments with theory really motivated me.
Being in that kind of environment made me realize that research was something I truly wanted to pursue.
How do your relatives perceive your job?
They actually find my work very interesting, especially when I show them videos of a droplet levitating on a hot surface. They really appreciate it !
Outside of science, what are your interests or passions?
Outside of science, I enjoy working out, listening to music, and spending time with my friends.
These activities help me relax, keep a good balance, and stay motivated in my research.
What other scientific question would you like to work on after your PhD?
After my PhD, I would like to continue working on problems related to fluid mechanics and heat transfer.
I’m interested in scientific questions where understanding the physical mechanisms can lead to practical solutions in industry.
Where do you see yourself in 6 months?
In six months, I see myself well integrated into my PhD project, with a clear experimental setup and first interesting results.
How would you explain your PhD to a non-scientist?
I usually explain my PhD by saying that I study droplets that can float on hot surfaces, like on a cushion of air.
I try to understand how they can pick up particles or release them, in order to imagine contact-free cleaning methods.
