Dr. Yurchenko is interested in Nonlinear and Stochastic Dynamics, Control Theory, Vibration, Stability and Bifurcation Analysis of complex dynamic systems with application to energy harvesting. In 2001 he obtained a PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering from Worcester Polytechnic Institute, USA on the development of stochastic optimal control theory and analysis of non-smooth systems and accepted position of an Assistant Professor at University of Miami. In 2005 he was offered a post of an Associate Professor at the Department of Mathematical Sciences of Saint-Petersburgh State Polytechnic University, Russia. He received Doctor of Science degree (habilitation) in 2007 and in 2008 he received a Young Scientists Award from the Russian President Science Council. In 2008 he was promoted to a full Professor and became a deputy head of MS program in Mechanics. In 2010 Dr. Yurchenko joined Mechanical Engineering Department of Heriot-Watt University.

Dr. Yurchenko has published over 150 scientific publications including peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings, delivered multiple invited talks and keynote lectures, led a number of industrial project and received grants from EPSRC and the Royal Society. He is an Associate Editor of Journal of Vibration Testing and System Dynamics, Editorial board member of Mechanical Systems and Signal Processing, Int. J. of Dynamics and Control, Vibrations and Energies.