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Elena’s research expertise is in the broad area of mechanics of composite materials. Her primary focus is on application of computational mechanics tools to characterisation and design of composites. The multi-scale material characterisation is based upon the unit cells modelling methodology, in which Elena has an expert knowledge, having co-authored a monograph “Representative Volume Elements and Unit Cells: Concepts, Theory, Application and Implementation”. The monograph is supplemented with an open-source software UnitCells© that offers materials scientists and structural designers a fully automated tool for the characterisation of a wide range of composites. The unit cell characterisation is also an integral part of a design method for 3D woven composites that was developed by Elena. With this in place, one can alter their internal architecture in a systematic and informed way to obtain a desired mechanical behaviour.