Biography

In November, 2021, I joined the fleXLab as a postdoctoral researcher. Located at EPFL, the lab is led by Prof. Pedro Reis and focuses on mechanical instabilities in slender/thin structures. We like to call ourselves “buckliphiles.” At fleXLab, I’ll continue to explore how highly deformable structures interact with fluidic environments, for example in high Reynolds number swimming, and microfluidic channels.

Recently, I obtained my PhD in Applied Mathematics at SEAS, Harvard University. During my PhD, I worked on numerical methods for fluid–structure interaction problems, diffusion-limited dissolutions, bacterial competition and pattern formation in biofilms. I built fast and robust codes of these mathematical models to address the inherent computational challenges in solving the complex systems.

Though these topics are across multiple subject areas, they are connected by a common core goal — using math and computation to understand our complex natural world. In my postdoc, I’m excited to add experiments to my toolbox in tackling complex research questions.

I have been a Department of Energy Computational Science Graduate fellow from 2016 to 2020 and a graduate fellow at the Harvard Quantitative Biology Initiative from 2020 to 2021. Find my CV here.

I was born in China and immigrated to the US in 2008. Outside of research, I also enjoy playing the ukulele, cycling and mountain biking, and long distance running.

Latest News

Aug 5, 2022 – Pedro and I co-wrote a short Preview paper in Matter (Cell Press) titled “Not gone with the wind: Active microscale flight with highly porous bristled wings.” It is now available online at https://www.cell.com/issue/S2590-2385(21)X0009-4.

January 4, 2022 – Our paper “Eulerian simulation of complex suspensions and biolocomotion in three dimensions” is now available on PNAS: https://www.pnas.org/content/119/1/e2105338118.

November 1, 2021 – I officially joined fleXLab as a postdoc researcher, checking out my new experimentalist hat.

October, 2021 – Our paper “Eulerian simulation of complex suspensions and biolocomotion in three dimensions” is accepted by PNAS! Coming soon to theaters near you.

September 7, 2021 – I successfully defended my thesis on Aug 19, 2021 and submitted my dissertation! What a journey!

July 17, 2021 – Our paper “A subcelluar biochemical model of T6SS reveals winning strategies” is submitted and in review. Preprint is available on bioRxiv. The paper uses an agent-based model of bacterial growth with internal model of type VI secretion system, the code is available on GitHub.

March 31, 2021 – Our paper “Eulerian simulation of complex suspensions and biolocomotion in three dimensions” is submitted. Preprint is available on arXiv.

March 19, 2021 – RMT3D, the fluid–structure interaction simulation codes Nick and I have been working on is now live on GitHub.

Latest Posts

  • Gallery of Fluid Motion
    Update: the video is now on YouTube. Even though we didn’t win the contest, making this video helped us realize how important visualization is in science communication! Yue, Nick, and I are working on making a submission for the Gallery of Fluid Motion, a part of the upcoming meeting of APS Division of Fluid Dynamics. The name is taken after the famous album of photographs of fluid flow visualization collected and compiled by Milton van Dyke. We thought the case … More Gallery of Fluid Motion
  • Modeling Bacterial War
    E. scolopes is a species of small squids, commonly known as the Hawaiian bobtail squid, living off the coast of Hawaii. Early in its life cycle, it forms a life-long symbiosis with bacteria Vibrio fischeri . The squids need the bioluminescent bacteria for a form of camouflage called counter-illumination, which helps the squid blend in with the moonlit ocean surface at night while out hunting. Scientists also find that the bacteria is crucial in squid’s development as a juvenile and health as an … More Modeling Bacterial War
  • Simulating Fluid–Structure Interactions
    Fluid-structure interactions (FSI) are ubiquitous in nature, laboratory, and industrial setting. For example, animal locomotion, fluid flowing through porous media, or cheese being stirred and pumped through a cheese making machine. However, FSI problems are challenging to solve analytically or simulate numerically, due to their nonlinear, multi-physics nature. In particular, it is difficult to reconcile the dilemma of choosing a discretization framework. Solid simulations are typically computed in a Lagrangian framework. whereas fluid dynamics are more conveniently done from the … More Simulating Fluid–Structure Interactions