RESEARCH SUMMARY
The theme of our research is heterogeneous soft matter transport and design, covering topics such as complex fluid dynamics, colloid and interface science, electrokinetics, and rheology. Our research develops predictive multi-scale computational tools (e.g. particle/fluid dynamics simulations) and fundamental theory (e.g. asymptotic/scaling analyses) to address emerging NAE Grand Challenges for Engineering in these research areas, emphasizing on close collaboration with experimental groups to translate knowledge into applications. Examples of applications include enhanced oil recovery, CO2 sequestration, smart materials assembly, sustained drug delivery, engineered functional surfaces, 3D printing, adaptive micro-robots, and microfluidic energy harvesting.
For details of available projects and information of our group, see http://www.chugroup.site
EDUCATION
Ph.D., 2017, Cornell University
M.Phil., 2012, The University of Hong Kong
B.Eng., 2010, The University of Hong Kong
AWARDS & DISTINCTIONS
- Global Faculty Fellow, University of Florida, 2021
- Research Travel Grant Award, Cornell University, 2016
- Student Member Travel Award, American Institute of Physics The Society of Rheology, 2014, 2016
- Clyde W. Mason Scholar, Cornell University, 2013
- Outstanding Research Postgraduate Award, The University of Hong Kong, 2012
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
- H. C. W. Chu, S. Garoff, R. D. Tilton and A. S. Khair (2022). Tuning chemotactic and diffusiophoretic spreading via hydrodynamic flows, Soft Matter, 18, 1896-1910.
- H. C. W. Chu, S. Garoff, R. D. Tilton and A. S. Khair (2021). Macrotransport theory for diffusiophoretic colloids and chemotactic microorganisms, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 917, A52.
- H. C. W. Chu and R. N. Zia (2019). Toward a nonequilibrium Stokes-Einstein relation via active microrheology of hydrodynamically interacting colloidal dispersions, Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 539, 388-399.
- H. C. W. Chu and R. N. Zia (2017). The non-Newtonian rheology of hydrodynamically interacting colloids via active, nonlinear microrheology, Journal of Rheology, 61, 551-574.
- C. O. Ng and H. C. W. Chu (2011). Electrokinetic flows through a parallel-plate channel with slipping stripes on walls, Physics of Fluids, 23, 102002.
Dr. Eric Jing Du is an associate professor in the Department of Civil Engineering, and MAE’s affiliate and graduate faculty. Before joining University of Florida in January 2019, he was a faculty member at Texas A&M University, and a senior production analyst at Zachry Industrial in San Antonio, TX. His primary area of research is human-robot collaboration for complex industrial operations. His ongoing projects involve the use of Mixed Reality and haptic stimulation to enhance physical embodiment in robot teleoperation. With his colleagues, Dr.Du has secured more than $12 million in federal funding from National Science Foundation (NSF), the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), with more than $5 million directly attributed to him. Dr. Du has published more than 130 referred journal and conference papers, including several best paper awards from high impact journals. Dr.Du is the elected Secretary of the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Visualization, Information Modeling and Simulation (VIMS) committee, and serves on the editorial board of three journals. Dr.Du received his PhD degree in construction engineering from Michigan State University (2012), master’s degree in Enterprise Management (2007) and bachelor degree in Civil Engineering (2004), both from Tianjin University in China.
Education
Michigan State University (2012)
Teaching Interests
Informatics, robotics, visualization.
Research Interests
Human-robot collaboration, mixed reality, human factors
Research Interests
- Vann, W., Zhou, T., Zhu, Q., & Du, J.* (2023). Enabling automated facility maintenance from articulated robot Collision-Free designs. ELSEVIER Advanced Engineering Informatics, 55, 101820.
- Zhu, Q., Zhou, T., & Du, J.* (2022). Haptics-based force balance controller for tower crane payload sway controls. ELSEVIER Automation in Construction, 144, 104597.
- Xu, F., Xia, P., You, H., & Du, J.* (2022). Robotic Cross-Platform Sensor Fusion and Augmented Visualization for Large Indoor Space Reality Capture. ASCE Journal of Computing in Civil Engineering, 36(6), 04022036.
- Ye, Y., Shi, Y., Srinivasan, D., & Du, J.* (2022). Sensation transfer for immersive exoskeleton motor training: Implications of haptics and viewpoints. ELSEVIER Automation in Construction, 141, 104411.
- Xia, P., Xu, F., Zhou, T., & Du, J.* (2022). Benchmarking Human versus Robot Performance in Emergency Structural Inspection. ASCE Journal of Construction Engineering and Management, 148(8), 04022070.
- Zhu, Q., Du, J.*, Shi, Y., & Wei, P. (2021). Neurobehavioral assessment of force feedback simulation in industrial robotic teleoperation. ELSEVIER Automation in Construction, 126, 103674.
- Zhu, Q., Zhou, T., & Du, J.* (2022). Upper-body haptic system for snake robot teleoperation in pipelines. ELSEVIER Advanced Engineering Informatics, 51, 101532.
Education
Ph.D., Human Biodynamics, University of California, Berkeley, 1998,M.S., Exercise Physiology, University of Miami 1994,B.S., Mathematics Education, University of Central Florida 1992
Dr. Jie Fu received the M.Sc. degree in Electrical Engineering and Automaton from Beijing Institute of Technology, Beijing, China, in 2009, and the Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware, Newark, DE, USA, in 2013. From 2013 to 2015, she was a Postdoctoral Scholar with the University of Pennsylvania. From 2016-2021, she was an Assistant Professor with the Department of Robotics Engineering, Worcester, MA.
Her research focuses on using control theory, formal methods, and game theory to designing robust and provably correct autonomous robots and cyber-physical systems with a holistic dynamic and epistemic model of the interacting environments.
Education
BS. Electrical Engineering and Automation, 2007, Beijing Institute Technology
MS. Control Theory and Control Engineering, 2009, Beijing Institute Technology
Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, 2014, University of Delaware
Teaching Interests
Data Science for ECE, Formal methods for Cyber-Physical Systems, Robot Control.
Research Interests
Control theory, formal methods, game theory, shared autonomy.
Selected Publications
S. Udupa, A. N. Kulkarni, S. Han, N. O. Leslie, C. A. Kamhoua, and J. Fu, “Synthesizing Attack-Aware Control and Active Sensing Strategies Under Reactive Sensor Attacks,” IEEE Control Systems Letters, vol. 7, pp. 265–270, 2023.
Li L, Ma H, Kulkarni A, Fu J. Dynamic Hypergames for Synthesis of Deceptive Strategies With Temporal Logic Objectives. IEEE Transactions on Automation Science and Engineering. 2022.
Kulkarni A, Fu J, Luo H, Kamhoua CA., Leslie NO.. Decoy Allocation Games on Graphs with Temporal Logic Objectives. Conference on Decision and Game Theory for Security. 2020.
PRIMARY RESEARCH AREA
Signals and Systems
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Signal Processing, Data Science, Acoustics, Nondestructive Evaluation, Structural Health Monitoring, Speech Processing
ABOUT
HOMEPAGE
PUBLICATIONS
HONORS AND AWARDS:
- Invited Paper Published in Proceedings of the IEEE, 2015
- Univ. of Utah Electrical and Computer Engineering Teaching Award, 2016
EDUCATION
- Ph.D. Electrical & Computer Eng., Carnegie Mellon University, 2014
- M.S. Electrical & Computer Eng., Carnegie Mellon University, 2011
- B.S. Electrical Eng., Tufts University, 2008
EDUCATION
B.S., Mechanical Engineering, Tufts University, 2008
M.S., Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, 2011
M.A., Medical Humanities & Bioethics, Northwestern University, 2014
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Northwestern University, 2014
Postdoctoral Fellowship, Orthopaedics, University of Utah, 2017
RESEARCH INTERESTS
Dr. Nichols’ research broadly focuses on musculoskeletal biomechanics. The guiding vision of her lab is to create predictive simulations that cross disciplinary boundaries and improve the functional ability and quality of life for individuals with musculoskeletal disorders. In other words, she is actively working to create a future in which advanced computer simulations enable real-time, patient-specific prognostics in a doctor’s office. Toward this goal, her lab is pursuing (i) basic science projects focused on understanding musculoskeletal structure and function, (ii) computationally intensive projects to rapidly create personalized models and analyze predictive patient-specific simulations, and (iii) clinical projects focused on improving orthopaedic surgery and rehabilitation. All these projects integrate orthopaedic biomechanics, musculoskeletal computer simulations, quantitative medical imaging, and machine learning to understand both the patient- and surgeon-specific factors that influence musculoskeletal health.
HONORS AND AWARDS
- J. Crayton Pruitt Family Term Fellow, J. Crayton Pruitt Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 2023 – 2026
- Research Excellence Award, J. Crayton Pruitt Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 2022
- Faculty Service Award, J. Crayton Pruitt Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 2020
- Trailblazer Award, National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, 2020
- Outstanding Researcher Award, National Center for Simulation Rehabilitation Research, 2018
- Early Career Achievement Award, American Society of Biomechanics, 2018
selected publications
Nichols, J.A., C.E. Baratta, and C.W. Reb (2023) “Biomechanical Sequelae of Syndesmosis Injury and Repair” Foot & Ankle Clinics. 28(1): 77-88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fcl.2022.10.004
Rakauskas T.R., S.M. Barron, T. Ordonez Diaz, and J.A. Nichols. (2023) “Measuring Fascicle Lengths in Extrinsic and Intrinsic Thumb Muscles Using Extended Field-of-View Ultrasound” Journal of Biomechanics. 149: 111512. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2023.111512
McFarland D.C., B. I. Binder-Markey, J.A. Nichols, S. J. Wohlman, M. de Bruin, and W. M. Murray. (2023) “A Musculoskeletal Model of the Hand and Wrist Capable of Simulating Functional Tasks” IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. 70(5): 1424-1435. https://doi.org/10.1109/tbme.2022.3217722
Barron, S.M., T. Ordonez Diaz, F. Pozzi, and J.A. Nichols (2022) “Linear Relationship Between Electromyography and Shear Wave Elastography Measurements in the Upper Extremity Persists in Deep Muscles” Journal of Electromyography & Kinesiology. 63:102645. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jelekin.2022.102645
Kearney, K., J.B. Harley, and J.A. Nichols (2021) “Classifying Muscle Parameters with Artificial Neural Networks and Simulated Lateral Pinch Data” PLoS One. 16(9): e0255103. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0255103
Ordonez Diaz, T. and J.A. Nichols (2021) “Anthropometric Scaling of Musculoskeletal Models of the Hand Captures Age-Dependent Differences in Lateral Pinch” Journal of Biomechanics. 123: 110498. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110498
Hao, K. and A. Nichols (2021) “Simulating Finger-Tip Force Using Two Common Contact Models: Hunt-Crossley and Elastic Foundation” Journal of Biomechanics. 119: 110334. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbiomech.2021.110334
Primary Research Area
Computer Engineering
Research Interests
Trustworthy computing; Reconfigurable platforms; Automotives and IoT; Post-silicon validation; Formal Methods
Honors & Awards
- Keynote Speaker DUHDe, Dresden, Germany, workshop part of Design, Automation, and Test in Europe, 2016
- Best Paper Selection Committee Lead HOST, 2015
- Research Recognition Award, Intel Strategic CAD Labs, for Research Pathfinding: Automated Analysis of Post-silicon Hardware Tracing, 2015
Education
- PhD, Computer Science, University of Texas at Austin, 2005
- ME, Computer Science and Automation, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore, India, 1998
- BE, Computer Science and Engineering, Jadavpur University, Calcutta, India, 1996
HONORS AND AWARDS
Best Contributed Theoretical Paper for paper “Data Generation with PROSPECT: a Probability Specification Tool” at the Winter Simulation Conference. 12/2021
Frank Anger Memorial Award for crossover of ideas between the SIGSOFT (software engineering) and SIGBED (embedded systems) communities. 05/2017
Best Paper Award for paper “Challenges in Physical Modeling for Adaptation of Cyber- Physical Systems” at the Third IEEE World Forum on the Internet of Things. 12/2016
Gold Medal in the ACM Student Research Competition at MODELS 2015 for paper “Architectural and Analytic Integration of Cyber-Physical System Models.” 10/2015
ACM SIGSOFT Distinguished Paper Award for paper “Architectural Abstractions for Hybrid Programs” at the 18th International Symposium on Component-Based Software Engineering (CBSE), CompArch 2015. 05/2015
EDUCATION
Ph.D., Software Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, School of Computer Science, Institute for Software Research, 2019
MS, Software Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, School of Computer Science, Institute for Software Research, 2014
Specialist degree (with honors), Applied Mathematics and Computer Science, Lomonosov Moscow State University, 2011
Characterizing the structure and property relationships of biological tissues for implementation into physics-based constitutive models. Studying injury mechanics and damage mechanisms associated with high impact loads. Specific expertise includes biomechanics, tissue and bone mechanics, bio-inspired materials research, orthopedics research and material characterization.
Education
B.S., Biological Engineering, Louisiana State University, 2001
Ph.D., Biomedical Engineering, Mississippi State University, 2006
Honors and Awards
- Research Excellence Award, Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Florida, 2022
- Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), 2020
- National Role Model Faculty Researcher Award, Minority Access Inc., 2017
- Mississippi Business Journal Top in Technology, 2017
- Mississippi State Institutions of Higher Learning–Diversity Educator of the Year Nominee, 2015
- Mississippi’s Top 21 Most Wanted in Technology, 2014
Selected Publications
Chen, J., Bryn, B. Prabhu, R., Patnaik, S.S., Bertucci, R., Rhee, H., Horstemeyer, M.F., Hong, Y., Williams, L. N., Liao, J. “Quantitative Analysis of Tissue Damage Evolution in Porcine Liver With Interrupted Mechanical Testing
Under Tension, Compression, and Shear,” Journal of Biomechanical Engineering. 2018, DOI: 10.1115/1.4039825.
Lee, N., Williams, L. N., Mun, S., Rhee, H., Prabhu, R; Bhattarai, K., Horstemeyer, M.”Stress wave mitigation at suture interfaces,” Biomedical Physics and Engineering Express. 2017, DOI: 10.1088/2057-1976/aa777e
Rush, G. Alston, Prabhu, R., Rush, Gus A. III, Williams, L.N., Horstemeyer, M.F., “A Modified Drop Test for American Football Helmets,” Journal of Visualized Experiments, 2017, DOI:10.3791/53929 2017.
Prabhu, R., Whittington, Wilburn., Jones, Michael David, Darwall, Dan, Liao, Jun, Williams, L.N. “Dynamic compressive mechanical properties of the porcine immature brain,” Brain Injury. 30, 2016:674
Lee, Nayeon, Horstemeyer, M.F, Prabhu, R., Liao, J., Rhee, H., Hammi, Y., Moser, Robert D., Williams, L.N “The geometric effects of a woodpecker’s hyoid apparatus for stress wave mitigation,” Bioinspiration & Biomimetics. 11, 2016, DOI:10.1088/1748-3190/11/6/066004
Wheatley, B. B., Pietsch, R. B., Donahue, T.L.H., Williams, L.N. “Fully non-linear hyper-viscoelastic modeling of skeletal muscle in compression,” Computer Methods in Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering. 2015: DOI:10.1080/10255842.2015.1118468