Education

2002.08 – 2008.11 PhD, Physics, McGill University, Canada

1998.09 – 2002.07 B.S., Physics, Jilin University, China

Research Experience

2017 – present Principal Investigator (Tenured), Institute for Advanced Study, Shenzhen University

2024.01-2024.02 Visiting scholar, Department of Physics, Oxford University (Julia Yeomans group)

2018.06-2018.07 Visiting scholar, Department of Chemistry, Oxford University (Dirk Aarts group)

2016 – 2017 Associate Professor, Xi'an Jiaotong University

2013 – 2016 Marie-Curie Fellow, University of Oxford

2012 – 2013 Postdoc, University of California Santa Barbara

2010 – 2012 Postdoc, University of Illinois at Urbana- Champaign

2008 – 2010 Postdoc, The Australian National University

Awards and Qualifications

2021 Elite graduate supervisor of Shenzhen University

2020 Supervisor of 100 excellent Undergraduate thesis of Shenzhen University

2019 Shenzhen Nanshan District Linghang Talent (Level C)

2018 Shenzhen Overseas High-Level Talent (Peacock Plan; Level C)

2017 'One hundred youth talents' of Shaanxi Province

2016 "Young Talent Support Plan" of Xi'an Jiaotong University (B level)

2013 Marie-Curie Fellow

Research Interests

Research tools and skills

Colloidal synthesis and functionalization, electric/magnetic field, optical microscopy, optical tweezing, structured light control, particle localization and tracking, rheology and micro-rheology, soft lithography and microfluidics, theory on diffusiophoresis, computer simulations and finite element analysis.

Group member

Postdocs

Fahmeeda Kausar (Lixin Award of SZU), PhD in Chemistry, Shanghai Jiaotong University

Awais Mahmood (Lixin Award of SZU), PhD in Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University

Azhar Saeed (Lixin Award of SZU), PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, Xi'an Jiaotong University

Joscha Mercke (Oversea Incoming Postdoctoral Fellow of Guangdong), PhD in Physics, Forschungszentrum Jülich/University of Cologne

Aijaz Ahmed Babar, PhD in Engineering, Donghua University

PhD students

Aaranda Arooj, Class of 2022, COMSATS University

James Obed Nketsiah, Class of 2022, Southwest University of Science and Technology

Iqbal Nisa, Class of 2023, Quaid-i-Azam University

Muhammad Nouman, Class of 2023, University of Agriculture

Sana Ullah, Class of 2023, Abdul Wali Khan University

Areeba Asif, Class of 2024, University of Agriculture

Master Students

Jiayu Zhang, Class of 2022, Wuyi University

Ruiyao Li, Class of 2022, Northeast Agricultural University

Fukang Li, Class of 2023, China University of Petroleum, Beijing

Guixu Liu, Class of 2023, Northeast Agricultural University

Junyi Ren, Class of 2024, Northeast University

Haoyu Mai, Class of 2024, China University of Geosciences Beijing

Undergraduate students

Xiyue Li, Class of 2021

Zequ Chen, Class of 2021

Ziwang Chenhe, Class of 2022

Guo Yu, Class of 2022

Jiachen Gu, Class of 2022

Hao Chen, Class of 2023

Jieyu Hu, Class of 2024

Visiting Professors

2024.11 Dirk Aarts, Oxford University, https://colloid.chem.ox.ac.uk/home

Collaborators

Dirk Aarts, Oxford University,https://colloid.chem.ox.ac.uk/home

Julia Yeomans, Oxford University,https://www-thphys.physics.ox.ac.uk/people/JuliaYeomans/

Alexander Mietke, Oxford University，https://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/our-people/mietke

Marisol Ripoll & Gerhard Gompper, Julich Forschungszentrum,https://www.fz-juelich.de/de/ibi/ibi-5

Masao Doi, Wenzhou Institute, UCAS，https://www.wiucas.ac.cn/group/mdoi/

Yufeng Wang, Hongkong University, https://wanglab.hku.hk/

Mingcheng Yang, Institute of Physics, CAS,https://people.ucas.ac.cn/~0043255

Hepeng Zhang, Shanghai Jiaotong University,https://ins.sjtu.edu.cn/people/hpzhang/

Wei Wang, HITSZ,http://weiwang-hitsz.weebly.com

Zuodong Ye, HITSZ,http://faculty.hitsz.edu.cn/yezuodong

Hui Fang, Shenzhen University,https://it.szu.edu.cn/gzxyjzx/info/1172/1013.htm

Rui Zhang, Shenzhen University,https://ias.szu.edu.cn/info/1029/6979.htm

Publications (*corresponding author)

2024

11. Y Zhang, J Wu, Y Yang, Y Li, X Zhang & Y Gao*, under review.

10. M Ikram*, I Muhammad, Y Zhou, H Khan & Y Gao*, under review

9. Y Peng, MY Khan, Y Gao and Wei Wang*, Chem Asian J, e202400923

8. M Basharat#, J Zhang#, N Yu, R Li, Y Zhang, Y Wang and Y Gao*, JCIS, 680, 278-285.

7. S Zeb, R Hu, W Khan, Z Khan, S Naz, M Imran, A Uddin, M Umair, X Jiang* and Y Gao*, Surfaces and Interfaces, 54, 105182

6. J Mecke, Y Gao*, G Gompper and M Ripoll*, Commun Phys, 7, 332

5. W Duan, Y Mu, X Mo, Z Wang, T Zhang, Y Ho, D Lyu, D Zhang, R Zhao, ECM Tse, Y Gao, H Wu, Y Wang*, JACS, 146, 26505

4. M Ikram*, C Hu, Y Zhou, Y Gao*, ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces, 16, 33439

3. J Mecke, JO Nketsiah, R Li, and Y Gao*, National Science Open, 3, 20230086.

2. D Li, H Wei, H Fang*, Y Gao*, Photonics, 11, 421.

1. N Yu, ZH Shah, M Yang* and Y Gao*, Research, 7, 0304.

2023

8. N Yu, ZH Shah, M Barsharat, S Wang, X Zhou, G Lin, SA Edwards, M Yang* andY Gao*, Soft Matter, 2023, 19, 9505-9510.

7. J Mecke,Y Gao*, CA Ramirez-Medina, DGAL Aarts, G Gompper and M Ripoll*, Communication Physics, 2023, 6, 324.

6. M Imran, A Islam, P Zhang, S Ahmed, S Zeb, A Uddin, Q ul Hassan, A Mahmood, Z Chen, M Afroz, F Ismail*,Y Gao*, Surfaces and Interfaces, 2023, 42, 103505.

5. A Uddin, A Rauf, H Luo, M Basharat, M Ikram, S Zeb, M Imran, Q Ul Hassan,Y Gao*, Applied Surface Science, 2023, 631, 157531.

4. M Ikram, G Pan, Q Hassan, M Basharat, Y Li, S Zeb andY Gao*, Small, 2023, 19, 2301625.

3. M Imran, A Islam, F Ismail, P Zhang, M Barsharat, M Ikram, A Uddin, S Zeb, Q Hassan* andY Gao*, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, 11, 109324.

2. X Zhang, Z Chen, Y Li, X Li, R Li, J Zhang, M Imran andY Gao*, JCIS open, 2022, 100071.

1. SE Ghellab, X Zhang, Y Yang, S Wang, M Basharat, X Zhou, L Lei, Y Zhou, Y Wang, H Fang andY Gao*, Small, 2022, 19, 2204260.

2022

7. Y Li, S Wang, X Zhang andY Gao*, JCIS open, 2022, 100061.

6. S Wang, L Zhou,Y Gao*, Phys Chem Chem Phys, 2022, 24, 10626-10627.

5. Y Mu, L Lei, J Zheng, W Duan, Z Wang, J Tang,Y Gao* and Y Wang*, ACS Nano, 2022, 16, 6801.

4. S Zeb, Y Cui, H Zhao, Y Sui, Z Yang, ZU Khan, SM Ahmad, M Ikram,Y Gao* and X Jiang*, ACS Appl Mater Interface, 2022, 14, 13836.

3. L Lei, S Wang, X Zhou, SE Ghellab, G Lin andY Gao*, Frontiers in Chemistry, 2022, 10, 803906.

2. M Basharat, ZH Shah, M Ikram, SE Ghellab, Q Hassan, T Ilyas, L Lei, G Lin &Y Gao*, Small, 2022, 18, 2107621.

1. QU Hassan, AI Channa, Q Zhai, G Zhu,Y Gao, N Ali, M Bilal, Chemosphere, 2022, 288, 132668.

2021

8. M Ikram, F Hu, G Peng, M Basharat, N Jabeen, P Ke andY Gao*, ACS Appl Mater Interfaces, 2021, 13, 51799.

7. X Zhou, S Wang, L Xian, Y Li, ZH Shah, G Lin &Y Gao*, PRL, 2021, 126, 168001.

6. S Wang, L Zhou,Y Gao*, Phys Chem Chem Phys, 2021, 23, 16501.

5. A Rastmaneh, MT Yaraki*, J Wu, Z Wang, P Ghoderao,Y Gao* & YN Tan*, Mol Syst Des Eng, 2021, 6, 566.

4. M Ikram, H Lv, Z Liu, K Shi*,Y Gao*, J Mater Chem A, 2021, 9, 14722.

3. S Wang, L Zhou, X Wang, J Hu, L Pan, G Lin,Y Gao*, L Zhang*, C Wang*, Langmuir, 2021, 37, 7986.

2. L Lei, S Wang, X Zhang, W Lai, J Wu &Y Gao*, Chin Phys B, 2021, 30, 056112.

1. S Wang, Y Chen, X Zhou, L Lei, ZH Shah, G Lin &Y Gao*, Langmuir, 2021, 37, 1429.

Representative publications

1. PRL, 2021, 126, 168001, Ionic Effects in Ionic Diffusiophoresis of Chemically Driven Active Colloids.

2. ACS Nano, 2022, 16, 6801, Binary Phases and Crystals Assembled from Active and Passive Colloids.

3. Communication Physics, 2023, 6, 324, Simultaneous emergence of active turbulence and odd viscosity in a colloidal chiral active system.

4. Research, 2024, 7, 0304, Morphology-tailored dynamic state transition in active-passive colloidal assemblies

5. Soft Matter, 2023, 19, 9505, Active self-assembly of colloidal machines with passive rotational parts via coordination of phoresis and osmosis

6. Langmuir, 2021, 37, 1429, Magnetic Manipulation and Assembly of Nonmagnetic Colloidal Rods in a Ferrofluid

7. Small, 2023, 19, 2204260, Cell-Mimic Directional Cargo Transportation in a Visible-Light-Activated Colloidal Motor/Lipid Tube System.

8. Small, 2023, 19, 2301625, Photoactive and Intrinsically Fuel Sensing Metal Organic Framework Motors for Tailoring Collective Behaviors of Active-Passive Colloids.

9. ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 2021, 13, 51799, Light-Activated Fuel-Free Janus Metal Organic Framework Colloidal Motors for the Removal of Heavy Metal Ions

10. J Colloid Interface Sci, 2024, 680, 278, In-situ isomerization and reversible self-assembly of photoresponsive polymeric colloidal molecules enabled by ON and OFF light control

Invited talk

Odd turbulent flow in a chiral active fluid, 2024 Annual Conference on Space Science and Applications of the Chinese Manned Space Station, Xi'an, 2024.09.24-28

Odd turbulent flow in a chiral active fluid, The Physics of Self-Organising Active Matter (Higgs Centre Workshop), Edinburgh, UK, 2024.07.08-10

Self-assembly and dynamic behavior control of active and passive colloidal mixtures, The 4th Annual Conference on Micro/Nano Motors, Shenzhen, 2024.04.26-28

Self-assembly and dynamic behavior control of active and passive colloidal mixtures, The 13th National Conference on Soft and Living Matter Physics, Xi'an, 2024.3.30-4.2

Self-propulsion mechanism and self-organization of chemically active colloids, The Great Bay Area Symposium on Soft Living Matter, Dongguan, 2024.1.5-7

Active turbulence and odd viscosity in a colloidal chiral active fluid, Xiamen Soft Matter Forum, Xiamen, 2023.10.20-23

Self-propulsion mechanism and self-organization of chemically active colloids, Micro-Nano Technology and Advanced Material Innovation Conference, Chongqing, 2023.06.10-12

Active turbulence and odd viscosity in a colloidal chiral active fluid, Active Soft Matter Symposium, Hangzhou, 2023.04.21-23

Self-propulsion and self-organization via ionic diffusiophoresis, Physics of living matter conference, Shantou, 2023.03.31-04.03

Self-propulsion mechanism and biomimetic transportation of chemically active colloids, The 12th National Soft Matter Conference, Wenzhou (online), 2022.10.28-30

Direct observation of microscopic mechanisms for normal grain coarsening kinetics, Soft matter day, Southern University of Science and Technology, 2022.08.20

Ionic Diffusiophoresis and Self-organization in Chemically Driven Active Colloids, Xiamen Soft Matter Forum 2021 & ICAM-China 2021 Autumn Workshop, 2021.12.10-12.13

Self-propulsion mechanism and self-organization of chemically active colloids, Center for complex flows and soft matter research at Southern University of Science and Technology, 2021.09.29

Colloidal self-organization in and out of equilibrium, Summer school on active matter, Westlake University, 2021.07.21

Self-organization of colloidal rotors, The 11th Liquid Matter Conference, Prague, the Czech Republic (online；Oral talk) 2021.07.18-23

Synthesis and active dynamics of silver-based Janus colloidal motors, Active soft matter workshop for the 10th anniversary of Southern University of Science and Technology, 2020.11.21

Self-organization of colloidal rods in and out of equilibrium, Summer school of active matter, Wenzhou University, 2020.05.18

Directed self-assembly into low-density colloidal liquid crystals, The 16th Pacific Polymer Conference, Singapore, 2019.12.08-12

Synthesis of efficient silver-based micromotors, Active Soft Matter Symposium, Hangzhou, 2019.09.26

Engineering colloidal rods for self-assembly and self-propulsion, Soft Matter Day, Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen), 2019.1.8

Structural disorder, filament growth, and self-poisoning in short rods confined onto a flat wall, International Symposium on polymer and condensed matter physics, Shenzhen, 2017.11.9-11

Directed self-assembly into low-density colloidal liquid crystal phases, Playing Colloidal Mikado Symposium, Eindhoven, Netherland, 2016.2.17-18.

Former group members

Research Fellow and Postdocs



Research Assistant

Master Students

Undergraduate Students



Recruitment

We are always keen in recruiting highly motivated students and postdocs.