Mohammadreza Vafaei (PhD, P.Eng., M.ASCE, M.EERI) is currently an associate professor in the School of Civil Engineering at UniversitiTeknologi Malaysia (UTM), Johor, Malaysia. Prior to joining UTM, he worked with various consulting firms and led the seismic design of numerous structures, including tall buildings, air traffic control towers, airport terminals, water reservoirs, telecommunication towers, and monumental structures. His areas of expertise encompass seismic design and retrofitting of structures, vibration control using passive dampers, and structural health monitoring. He has been invited as a keynote speaker at several international conferences and workshops. Dr. Vafaei holds several patents and has published over 85 papers in peer-reviewed journals and conferences. He has also been awarded more than 10 international and national research grants and has received multiple gold and silver medals for his innovative products at international exhibitions.

Title of Talk : Seismic Response and Retrofitting of Built-Up Battened Column