Research topics:

I am active in the following research topics (click for further details)

• Average distance problem and applications to data analysis (description)
• Coarsening in polycrystalline materials (description)
• Gradient flows and PDEs from material sciences (description)
• Crystalization and pattern formation in energy minimization problems (description)
• Gamma convergence and its applications to modeling and image processing
• Application of PDEs to numerical methods for peridynamics models
• Application of PDEs to Fluid-Structure interactions (FSI)

Student Supervision:

Current Students:

• (Winter 2022) Joshua Grasley, HBSC.MAPH, Lakehead University
• (Winter 2022) Rishab Sanghvi, HBSC.PHYS.CP, Lakehead University
• (Winter 2022) Alexander Alexandrov, HBSC.PHYS, Lakehead University
• (Winter 2022) Jacob Daigle, HBSC.MATH, Lakehead University
• (Winter 2022) Aaron Rossi, HBSC.MATH, Lakehead University
• (Fall 2021-Winter 2022) Yanji Zhang, M.Sc. student in Mathematics, Lakehead University

Past Students:

Postdocs:

• Chong Wang, McMaster University (co-supervised with Stanley Alama and Lia Bronsard)

Undergraduate and Graduate students:

• (Summer 2021) Todd Jared Falkenholt, B.Sc. student, Lakehead University (winner of an NSERC USRA Grant)
• (Fall 2020-Winter 2021) Yunan Li, M.Sc. student in Mathematics, Lakehead University
• (Fall 2020-Winter 2021) Feng Guo, B.Sc. student, Lakehead University
• (Summer 2018-Fall 2020) Dylan Spivak, M.Sc. student in Mathematics, Lakehead University (co-supervised with Hubert De Guise)
• (Fall 2020) Ziqi Xu, B.Sc. student, Lakehead University (co-supervised with Chong Wang)
• (Fall 2020) Ye Guan, B.Sc. student, Lakehead University (co-supervised with Chong Wang)
• (Fall 2019 - Winter 2020) Ari Boon, B.Sc. student, Lakehead University
• (Fall 2019 - Winter 2020) Hanna Dahl, B.Sc. student, Lakehead University
• (Summer 2019) Laura Liu, B.Sc. student, Lakehead University (co-supervised with Chong Wang)
• (Summer 2018) Fei Gao, B.Sc. student, Lakehead University
• (Spring 2016) Mathieu Lewis-Russell, B.Sc. student, McGill University (co-supervised with Rustum Choksi)

Grants:

• Apr. 2018 - Apr. 2023: NSERC Discovery Grant "Regularity of minimizers and pattern formation in geometric minimization problems" (Amount: CAD 115,000 + 12,500 Launch Supplement)
• Feb. 2018 - Feb. 2020: Lakehead University Startup Grant "Crystalization and PDEs from Material Sciences" (Amount: CAD 10,000)
• May 2018 - Apr. 2019: Lakehead University SRC Research Development Fund "Energies, crystals and PDEs from applied sciences" (Amount: CAD 6,500)

Awards:

• Jan. 2021: Recipient of a Lakehead University Merit Award, in the category Research and Other Scholarly Activities
• 2012: Winner of Chinese Scholarship Council prize for outstanding students abroad
• Sep. 2009: Winner of an PhD position (Corso di Perfezionamento) with full scholarship at Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa (Italy)
• Sep. 2005: Winner of an Undergraduate (Corso Ordinario) position with full scholarship at Scuola Normale Superiore, Pisa (Italy)