First row (from left to right): Yiming, Vaisakh, Haitao, Qin, Weiwei, Chang
Second row (from left to right): Che, Haiyang, Yiqiu, Wenjie, Shuaihu
Principal Investigator
Dr. Qin Xu ( 许钦 ) is an assistant professor of physics at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). He received his Ph.D. in Physics at the University of Chicago in 2015 under the supervision of Prof. Heinrich Jaeger. After leaving Chicago, Qin took a postdoctoral position in the SoftLab, led by Prof. Eric Dufresne, at Yale University. In the summer of 2016, he moved to Switzerland with the group to help build the Laboratory of Soft and Living Materials at ETH Zurich. In 2020, he joined the physics department of HKUST as a faculty member.
Email: qinxu@ust.hk Tel: (+852) 23588591
Faculty Webpage: HKUST Homepage Academic Profile: Google Scholar
Address:
Department of Physics, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Main Academic Building
Office: Rm 4481 (+852-2358 8591) / Lab: RM 4142 (+852-2358 7523) / Lab office: RM 4120
Research Team
Dr. Yiqiu Zhao (RGC Postdoc Fellow)
yiqiuzhao@ust.hk
Personal Page
Yiqiu joined our lab in August 2021. Yiqiu obtained his PhD in physics at Duke University in May 2020, advised by Dr. Robert Behringer and Dr. Joshua Socolar. During his PhD, Yiqiu worked on experiments to understand the physics of jamming in granular systems. Before joining the group, he spent one year with Dr. Jidong Zhao as a postdoc in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at HKUST, working on numerical studies of micromechanics of granular materials. Yiqiu has a broad interest in characterizing and understanding various types of critical phenomena in soft and disordered systems.
Dr. Shuaihu Wang (Postdoc Fellow)
shuaihuwang@ust.hk
I obtained my Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis in May 2024, under the supervision of Dr. Philip Bayly. During my PhD, I worked on the field of biomechanics, specifically on theoretical modeling and experimental investigation of the anisotropic mechanical properties of brain tissues. My research interests include characterizing and understanding tissue mechanics across multiple scales and applying these insights to biomaterial design.
Dr. Vaisakh V M (Postdoc Fellow)
vvm@connect.ust.hk
A curious scientiest with research experiences in thin films, liquid crystal-nanoparticle composites and biopolymers (collagen micro-networks). Driven by a passion to explore further in soft matter physics, ranging from theory & experiments to practical applications.
Current Research Interests: Soft Adhesion, Soft Wetting, Strain Dependent Surface Tension & Surface Deformation Studies.
Chang Xu (Ph. D. Student)
chang.xu@connect.ust.hk
Chang Xu obtained his B.S. Degree in Applied Physics in 2022 from the School of the Gifted Young at University of Science and Technology of China. His current research interests include nonlinear mechanics of soft interfaces, soft wetting, and photoelasticity.
BS in Applied Physics, University of Science and Technology
Haiyang Liu (Ph. D. Student)
haiyang.liu@connect.ust.hk
Haiyang Liu obtained his M.S. Degree in Mechanics from Xi’an Jiao Tong University. He studies the mechanics of soft materials, with a particular interest in soft adhesion and functional hydrogels.
Che Liu (Ph.D. Student)
Che Liu graduated with B.S. degree in physics from Wuhan University. His research interest is bio-inspired soft composites.
Yiming Pang (Ph.D. Student)
yiming.pang@connect.ust.hk
Yiming Pang obtained his B.S. degree in Physics from ShanghaiTech University in 2024. He has a broad interest in the intersection of physics and biology, with a particular focus on biomechanics.
Fong Shin Hei (Mphil. Student)
shfong@connect.ust.hk
Fong Shing Hei has obtained his bachelor’s degree in Physics from HKUST. He has a deep interest in studying experimental soft matter physics, particularly focusing on soft material, the coffee ring effect, and complex fluid mechanics
Keli Zhang (Research Assistant)
Keli obtained his M.S. Degree from the Department of Modern Mechanics, University of Science and Technology of China (USTC). His research interests include phase separation, soft materials mechanics, and wetting dynamics.
Alumni
Wenjie Qian (PhD 2021-2025) Current: Senior Engineer, Gotion Hightech, Heifei
Caishan Yan (Postdoc 2022-2024) Current: Postdoc, UChicago, USA
Haitao Hu (PhD 2020-2024) Current: Principal Engineer, BYD, Shenzhen
Weiwei Zhao (PhD 2020-2024) Current: Principal Engineer, BYD, Shenzhen
Jianhui Zhou (UG, 2023 Academic Achievement Medals top 1% UG graduates) Current: ETH Zurich, Switzerland
Lydia MaK (UG, 2021 Academic Achievement Medals for top 1% UG graduates) Current: Delft University, Netherlands
Complex Fluids and Soft Matter @ HKUST 