Home

Yingjie Zhang, assistant professor of materials science and engineering in The Grainger College of Engineering, has been named a 2026 Beckman Young Investigator and selected to receive a Beckman Bridge Funding Award from the Arnold and Mabel Beckman Foundation. His lab works at the intersection of physics and chemistry, developing liquid-phase mid-infrared spectromicroscopy, a novel technique capable of simultaneously imaging and chemically fingerprinting molecules at solid-liquid interfaces with unprecedented resolution.

Materials graduate student Bobby Kaman and Founder Professor Axel Hoffmann have demonstrated that spin waves in engineered two-dimensional magnonic crystals obey the same mathematical equations as electrons in graphene, revealing a surprisingly deep analogy between two previously distinct areas of physics. Beyond advancing fundamental understanding of magnonic systems, this work has practical implications for wireless technology, as the magnonic platform could enable microwave circulators to be miniaturized to the micrometer scale — a major reduction from current bulky designs.

An international research fellowship funded by the National Science Foundation COMPASS=CERA program, in which Dr. Yash Boyjoo of the University of Mauritius partnered with the lab team of Professor Qian Chen, has revealed a previously unknown plant defense mechanism that controls how metal-based nanoparticles behave in living plant tissues, with findings published in Chemical Engineering Journal. The study demonstrates how engineered CuS nanovaccines can be designed to evade plant sequestration barriers and remain bioavailable, advancing the development of next-generation agricultural nanomaterials for sustainable crop disease treatments.

Ivan Racheff Professor Rosa Espinosa Marzal has received a $556,000 NSF grant to investigate the solid electrolyte interphase — a nanoscale protective coating that governs battery safety, lifespan and performance — in next-generation sodium- and potassium-based batteries. Using atomic force microscopy, infrared spectroscopy and computational modeling, her team aims to decode how this poorly understood layer forms and behaves, with findings expected to inform the design of safer, longer-lasting and more affordable energy storage systems.

Ivan Racheff Professor Rosa Espinosa Marzal used a novel combination of imaging techniques to reveal that inferior joint lubrication in osteoarthritis stems from the mechanical instability of vesicle-dominated boundary films — overturning the long-held belief that vesicles are superior lubricants. These findings point to lamellar structures promoted by high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid as a more effective source of lubrication, offering a more scientifically grounded foundation for developing future osteoarthritis therapies.

Assistant Professor Yuanwei Li  has received a DARPA grant to develop a nanophotonic chip-based sensor array capable of detecting and tracking neurochemical biomarkers in real time with unprecedented sensitivity and throughput. If successful, the technology could pave the way for portable, wearable devices that continuously monitor brain chemistry, enabling earlier detection of neurological conditions and more personalized diagnostics.