Team

Xinyue Liu is an assistant professor Department of Chemical Engineering and Materials Science (ChEMS) at Michigan State University (MSU) since August 2023. Her research program combines fundamental studies of hydrogel dynamic behaviours with the development of novel engineered hydrogels to create innovative solutions in healthcare, energy, and sustainability. Recent efforts have focused on the development of hydrogel optical fibers for peripheral nerve optogenetics, as well as hydrogel sorbents for atmospheric water harvesting.

Xinyue Liu is now working with Professor Evelyn Wang at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her postdoctoral research is about designing hydrogels for atmospheric water harvesting and thermal energy storage. She received her Ph. D. in Mechanical Engineering at MIT with Professor Xuanhe Zhao in 2021. Her doctoral research is about developing hydrogel biosensors that can achieve environmental chemical sensing, prolonged physiological monitoring, and optical recording. Xinyue Liu has been the recipient of Forbes 30 Under 30 Asia, MRS Graduate Student Award, and Mechanical Engineering Rising Stars at UC Berkeley and MIT. 

Liu Research Group at MSU is looking for highly creative and motivated researchers in broad areas of material science, mechanical engineering, biomedical engineering, and/or thermal engineering. 

• Postdoc candidates can contact Dr. Liu, with their CV (including 3 referees), and one-page summary of past research and future perspectives. 

• Student candidates can contact Dr. Liu, with their CV (including 3 referees), and one-page personal statement. Students are encouraged to apply to the M.S. and Ph.D. programs in ChEMS at MSU. 

• MSU undergraduate students who are interested in Dr. Liu's research can contact her to inquire about undergraduate research opportunities. 

At the Liu Research Group, we are committed to fostering creativity, collaboration, and academic excellence among our students and postdoctoral researchers. We highly encourage collaborations among group members and with external teams to develop novel living materials systems and applications. There is no hierarchical structure and each group member will directly discuss his/her/their research ideas and progress with the PI. We will create an independent project/task for each incoming student. As a student develops expertise in the field, we expect the student will identify novel and exciting directions and create and lead their own projects. In addition to having a weekly group meeting that discusses research ideas and literature studies, we will also set up a weekly or biweekly meeting with each group member.