Postdoctoral positions on mechanical metamaterials and/or biomechanics are available at Harvard Medical School and Brigham and Women's Hospital. The project on mechanical metamaterials is in collaboration with Prof. Xiaoming Mao at University of Michigan funded by Office of Naval Research (MURI).
Pectin’s unique physicochemical properties have been linked to a variety of reparative and regenerative processes in nature. To investigate the effect of water on pectin repair, we used a 5 mm stainless-steel uniaxial load to fracture glass phase pectin films. The fractured gel phase films were placed on a 1.5–1.8 mm thick layer of water and incubated for 8 h at room temperature and ambient humidity. There was no immersion or agitation. The repaired pectin film was subsequently assessed for its optical and mechanical properties.
Research intern and postdoctoral positions on biomechanics, bioinspired robotics, mechanical metamaterials, and/or PPE innovation are available at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Candidates with a degree in Mechanical Engineering, Engineering Mechanics, Physics, Biomedical Engineering (or any related field) with strong publication records (for those with PhD) are encouraged to submit a full CV, a cover letter stating research experience and interests, and the contact information of three references to Dr. Zi Chen at zchen33(at)bwh.harvard.edu.
Shape-changing materials with precisely programmable configurations, each having its own functional regime, provide a wide range of applications in engineering and biomedical fields. Polymers with dynamic reversible covalent/non-covalent bonding feature the potential of having remarkable plasticity, which endows them with the capability of undergoing significant and sophisticated shape changes. Here we report a facile method to build an interpenetrating network (IPN) structure with plastic deformation and shape memory properties.
Self-assembly of three-dimensional (3D) structures, through bending, twisting, folding, and buckling, has garnered broad interest among physicists, mathematicians, chemists, and biologists. Herein strain engineering and geometric frustration as an on-demand strategy for fabricating spontaneous rolling “origami” structures with programmable multistability across multiple length scales are exploited.
The design of a dynamic, versatile, convertible, and responsive micropatterned system is realized by a photo/moisture reconstructible multiscale film-substrate bilayer structure. Specifically, a hydrophilic polyvinyl alcohol (PVA)/laponite (LP) thin film is covalently bonded to a photothermally active polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS)/carbon black (CB) soft substrate. A laser engraver can inscribe programmable aligned micro-wrinkles by manipulating laser power and spatiotemporal control.
Check out our paper at Materials Today: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1369702120304491
The Chen lab at Dartmouth is looking for two postdocts in solid mechanics/mechanical metamaterials/soft robotics/biomechanics areas with an expected start date after 7/1/2020.
ABSTRACT: Cell migration is essential for regulating many biological processes in physiological or pathological conditions, including embryonic development and cancer invasion.
