My group studies soft materials physics, biophysics and fluid mechanics in experiments. We are particularly interested in emergent flow phenomena in soft materials and biological systems and aim to understand their microscopic structural and dynamic origins. Our research is driven by fundamental questions in statistical and biological physics, as well as engineering issues related to the design and processing of soft and bio-materials.
In our research, we apply state-of-the-art imaging techniques including high-speed photography, confocal microscopy and digital holographic microscopy to image fluid flow at small spatial scales and fast time scales. By integrating the concepts from transport phenomena, thermodynamics, statistical mechanics, colloidal and interfacial science, rheology and biochemical engineering, we develop quantitative understandings of the intriguing flow properties of soft matter and bio-materials under both equilibrium and non-equilibrium conditions. Some recent examples of our research include the study of swimming microorganisms in complex environments, the collective dynamics of dense bacterial suspensions, the rheology of colloidal suspensions, the dynamics of drop impact, and the emergent collective phenomena of granular robotic systems. We collaborate broadly with theory and simulation groups within and outside the University of Minnesota.
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