Ph.D. Laura Dalton

Laura Dalton, Ph.D., is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at Duke University. Her research focuses on 4D Imaging; sustainable material development; thermal cycling in porous media; and reactive transport in porous materials. Dr. Dalton joined Duke University in August 2022 after obtaining her Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. She is an experimentalist who uses quantitative imaging approaches such as X-ray computed tomography, neutron tomography, and electrical imaging modalities to study reactive, multiphase transport in both engineered and natural porous materials.

Laura E. Dalton's research focuses on 3D/4D tomography, mass transport in porous materials, and sustainable material development. Her work explores the dynamics of immiscible displacement, capillary pressure, and relative permeability in CO2-water-rock systems, emphasizing the role of surface wettability and spatial heterogeneity. Dalton also investigates geochemical-mechanical impacts in geological carbon storage and develops deep learning workflows for image segmentation and contact angle measurements in digital rock systems. Her studies contribute to understanding CO2-induced changes in sandstone and the behavior of reactive transport in porous media, with applications in carbon sequestration and sustainable material design.