(3aw) Multiscale Simulations of Soft Materials and Complex Fluids

My general research interest lies in the study of soft matter using multiscale computational approaches. The scope of soft matter covers a wide range of materials of practical interest, such as polymers, surfactants, colloids, gels, biomolecules, liquid crystals and complex fluids. A special focus of my future research is to couple simulation techniques at different length scales, and address problems inspired by practical applications in the areas of energy, environment and biomaterials. My past experience in simulations at both small and large scales prepares me for this plan. During my Ph.D. study at University of Wisconsin-Madison, I worked on projects involving polymeric flows at different limits of Reynolds number, typical of applications from microfluidics to large scale fluid transportation. Among my achievements is a new framework of understanding a long-standing puzzle in the area of viscoelastic turbulence. Recognizing the importance of multiscale dynamics in soft matter, I decided to enter a new field and obtain training in microscopic scale simulation after graduation. My current postdoctoral research at MIT focuses on the understanding and prediction of transport performance of glassy amorphous polymer materials. In terms of simulation techniques, I obtained training at both limits of scales relevant to the study of soft matter: from the full atomistic scale to the continuum level.