Faculty - Materials Research Institute
 Reka Albert
Associate Professor of Physics and Biology
122 Davey Laboratory, University Park
Phone: 814-865-6123
E-mail: ralbert@phys.psu.edu
RESEARCH INTERESTS: Our research is driven by an ongoing dialog between experimental measurements and theoretical modeling. We build our models on the most salient features of a system, and use our results as predictions and guidance for future experiments. Our diverse, interdisciplinary projects are characterized by the common goal of identifying organizing principles of complex systems.
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 Susan Brantley
Professor of Geosciences
Director of Earth and Environmental Systems Institute
2217 Earth & Engineering Sciences Bldg (225B), University Park
Phone: 814-865-3191
E-mail: brantley@essc.psu.edu
RESEARCH INTERESTS: Chemical and physical processes associated with the circulation of aqueous fluids in shallow hydrogeologic settings. Investigations incorporate field and laboratory work, and theoretical modelling of observations. Of particular interest are questions concerning the measurement and prediction of the rates of natural processes, including chemical weathering and natural degassing. Recent work has focused on the effect of microbial life on mineral reactivity and extraction of nutrients from rocks by microorganisms.
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 Jeffrey Catchmark
Assistant Professor of Agricultural and Biological Engineering
109 Agricultural Engineering Building, University Park
Phone: 814-863-0414
E-mail: jcatchmark@engr.psu.edu
RESEARCH INTERESTS: Transporter-mediated regulation of neuronal homeostasis; Role of serotonin in complex behavior, and the etiology and treatment of psychiatric disorders (depression and anxiety disorders) and neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases); In vivo neurotransmitter sensing; Nanobiosensor design; Functional proteomics.
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 Long-Qing Chen
ICS Steering Committee
Professor of Materials Science and Engineering
102 Steidle Building, University Park
Phone: 814-863-8101
E-mail: lqc3@psu.edu
RESEARCH INTERESTS: Computational materials science at the mesoscale, Phase-field method for materials microstructure evolution and materials design, Thermodynamics and kinetics of phase transitions, Domain structures and electrical/mechanical/magnetic couplings in nanoferroelectrics and multiferroics, Alloy phase transformations, including order-disorder, phase separation, and martensitic transformations, Grain growth in thin films and bulk systems, Precipitate morphologies, Ostwald ripening, Interactions between defect and phase microstructures, Multiscale modeling, Computational materials design.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Crystals Within Crystals
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 Vincent Crespi
Professor of Physics and Materials Science and Engineering
Associate Director, Penn State Materials Research Science and Engineering Center
326 Davey Laboratory, University Park
Phone: 814-863-0163
E-mail: nanoprof@mac.com
RESEARCH INTERESTS: Computational Materials Theory, Adsorption onto Carbon Nanotubes, Beowulf Commodity Supercomputers: Sherwood, Electronic Properties of Carbon Nanotubes, Metastable Semiconductor Alloys, Electronic Properties, Optical Properties, Semiconductors, Optimization of Photonic Structures, Structural Properties of Carbon Nanotubes, Empirical Interatomic Potentials, Quantum Mechanics.
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 Cheng Dong
Professor of Bioengineering
233 Hallowell Building, University Park
Phone: 814-865-8091
E-mail: cxd23@psu.edu
RESEARCH INTERESTS: The major focus of our research is to elucidate biomechanical, biophysical and biochemical aspects of cellular function in the circulatory system. A dual approach is taken that involves a coordination of in vitro, in vivo, biological experiments and mathematical modeling of cellular behavior. The laboratory expertise is in the field of cellular biomechanics, leukocyte rheology, cell signaling, cancer immunology and metastases. Current research includes studies of micro-hemodynamics, cell adhesion, cell migration, intercellular and intracellular signaling, systems biology and cell signaling network modeling. In particular, we study how tumor microenvironment changes leukocyte and/or endothelial immune functions which subsequently affect tumor cell extravasation from the microcirculation and subsequent metastasis.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Cellular Biomechanics Laboratory
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 Zi-Kui Liu
Professor of Materials Science & Engineering
Director, Center for Computational Materials Design
201 Steidle Building, University Park
Phone: 814-865-1934
E-mail: liu@matse.psu.edu
RESEARCH INTERESTS: First-principles Calculations, Computational Thermodynamics, System Materials Design, Aluminum Alloys, Hydrogen Storage Materials, Magnesium Alloys, Nickel Alloys, Perovskites, Steels.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Phases Research Lab
Materials Computation and Simulation Environments
Calculation of Phase Diagrams
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 Karl Mueller
Professor of Chemistry
002 Chemistry Building, University Park
Phone: 814-863-8674
E-mail: ktm2@psu.edu
RESEARCH INTERESTS: Development of experimental and theoretical techniques for solid-state NMR spectroscopy; magic-angle spinning and higher-order averaging of quadrupolar spectra; coherence transfer in solid-state NMR; dipolar-dephasing dynamics and pure dipolar transforms.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:
Karl Mueller's Research Group
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 Virendra Puri
Distinguished Professor of Agricultural Engineering
229 Agricultural Engineering Building, University Park
Phone: 814-865-3559
E-mail: avmpuri@psu.edu
RESEARCH INTERESTS: Powder Mechanics – Research focus includes: fundamental powder and powder mixture properties, multi-scale constitutive models, and computational models for powder processes; Food Processing – Research focus includes: engineering properties, and integrated multi-scale computational and predictive models.
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