Zian Jia

I obtained my Ph.D. degree in the interdisciplinary of mechanics and materials science working with Prof. Lifeng Wang and I am currently a postdoctoral researcher in the Stoddard lab at Princeton University. My current research is funded by AFOSR, led by Prof. Stoddard at Princeton and Prof. Li at Virginia Tech. With intimate collaboration with biologists, my research is to understand the mechanics, function, formation, and evolution of biological materials. Specifically, I develop experimental and computational tools and propose new theories to interpret the fundamental design principles of structural material, both natural and artificial. The learned knowledge is applied to design and fabricate novel structural materials.

I am always fascinated by the exquisite material architectures in nature, their beauty, and outstanding properties. Examples include eggs, echinoderm skeletons, cuttlebones, and pufferfish skins. I believe studying biological materials provides one handle to unravel the mysteries of nature and design economical, sustainable, better, and smarter materials.

My research is highly interdisciplinary, spanning various fields including mechanics, physics, metamaterials, instability and failure, multifunctional synergies, biological growth, evolution, and materials fabrication. I believe cross-disciplinary research is essential to uncover the fundamental mechanical and material principles that govern the design of biological materials and ultimately to - understand materials evolution and develop bioinspired technologies that enhance the quality of our lives.