Xuanhe Zhao

Research Interests

• Design of soft materials that possess unprecedented properties.
• Large deformation, instability, fracture, adhesion and multiple-field coupling in soft materials.
• 3D printing of soft materials and biomaterials
• Bio-integrated electronics and devices, soft robotics and soft machines, antifouling and water treatment

Bio

Xuanhe Zhao is an associate professor in mechanical engineering at MIT. The mission of Zhao Laboratory is to advance science and technology on the interfaces between humans and machines for addressing grand societal challenges in health, water, security and joy of living; by integrating expertise in soft materials, solid mechanics, bioelectronics, 3D printing and theoretical modeling. Dr. Zhao is the recipient of the early career award and young investigator award from National Science Foundation, Office of Naval Research, Society of Engineering Science, American Vacuum Society, Adhesion Society, Materials Today, Journal of Applied Mechanics, and Extreme Mechanics Letters. He held the Hunt Faculty Scholar at Duke,and the d'Arbeloff Career Development Chair and Noyce Career Development Professor at MIT. He was selected as a highly cited researcher by Web of Science in 2018. Dr. Zhao's recent noticeable works include:

• Extreme mechanics. Design and understanding of extremely tough, strong, resilient, adhesive, anti-fatigue, bioactive, conductive soft materials, and extremely robust soft-hard material hybrids, achieving world-record performances.
• Hydrogel technology. Applications of hydrogels to form long-term, high-efficacy, and compatible interfaces between humans and machines, such as hydrogel bioelectronics, hydrogel soft robots, hydrogel optical fibers, ingestible hydrogel device, hydrogel coatings on medical devices, hydrogel living materials and devices.
• Untethered soft robots. Invention of untethered ferromagnetic soft materials and robots, rationally designed and accurately controlled by theoretical models.

Online Data

• ResearchID
• Google Scholar

Honors + Awards

• 11/2018, Web of Science Highly Cited Researcher 2018
• 09/2018, Materials Today Rising Star Award
• 07/2017, Young Investigator Medal, Society of Engineering Science
• 02/2017, Young Scientist Award, The Adhesion Society
• 03/2016, Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) Award, Department of Defence
• 12/2015, Extreme Mechanics Letters Young Investigator Award, Elsevier
• 07/2015, Robert N. Noyce Career Development Professorship, MIT
• 02/2015, Journal of Applied Mechanics Award, ASME
• 07/2014, d'Arbeloff Career Development Chair, MIT
• 07/2014, Hunt Faculty Scholar, Duke University
• 04/2014, Young Investigator Program (YIP) Award, Office of Naval Research
• 02/2014, Arthur K. Doolittle Award, ACS Polymeric Materials Science and Engineering Division
• 09/2013, US Frontiers of Engineering Symposium, National Academy of Engineering
• 12/2012, Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) Award, National Science Foundation
• 11/2012, Early Career Researchers Award, AVS Biomaterial Interfaces Division
• 11/2011, Haythornthwaite Research Initiation Award, ASME Applied Mechanics Division
• 03/2008, AAM Founder’s Prize, American Academy of Mechanics
   

Related Experience

• 01/2015-Present, Associate Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT
• 01/2015-Present, Associate Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (joint), MIT
• 09/2014-01/2015, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT
• 09/2014-01/2015, Assistant Professor, Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering (joint), MIT
• 07/2010-09/2014, Assistant Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science, Duke University
• 07/2009-07/2010, Postdoctoral Fellow in Biomedical Engineering, Harvard University

Memberships

• American Society of Mechanical Engineers
• Materials Research Society
• American Physical Society

Professional Service

• 2015-present, Associate Editor in Chief, Acta Mechanica Sinica
• 2015-present, Editorial Board, Scientific Reports
• 2013-present, Editorial Board, International Journal of Applied Mechanics
• 2013-2014, Editor, Journal Club of imechanica.org
• 2013-2014, Chair of Technical Committee on Soft Material, ASME
• 2012-2013, Vice Chair of Technical Committee on Soft Material, ASME
• 2011-2012, Secretary of Technical Committee on Soft Material, ASME

MIT Service

• 2014, 2015, Faculty Search Committee (Ad Hoc member), Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT
• 2014-present, Graduate Admissions Committee, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT
• 2014-present, MMEC Seminar Committee, Department of Mechanical Engineering, MIT
• 2016-present, SMSD Seminar Committee, School of Engineering. MIT

Teaching

• 2.002 Mechanics and Materials II
• 2.01 Elements of Structures
• 2.02A Engineering Materials: Properties and Applications

Publications

• Selected Papers
• Review Papers
• All Papers

Patents

• Full Patent List