People

Dr. Xingchen Zhao is a research scientist in the group. He employs high-resolution microscopy and spectrometry to characterize the structure, elemental distribution, and crystallography within mineralized tissues. He further implements these insights in developing bioinspired materials for regenerative or functional purposes. Xingchen earned his B.S. and Ph.D. from Imperial College London. He then worked as a postdoc at Northwestern University before joining the group.

Dr. Yanbin Li is a research scientist in the group. His current research includes the study of structures, mechanics, and multifunctionalities of biological materials and bioinspired architected composites. These insights will be fundamental to further inspire the new design of bioinspired materials, create novel manufacturing techniques, and develop novel mechanics that can be used for addressing practical challenges across various areas. Yanbin earned his Ph.D. from North Carolina State University. He then continued working as a postdoc at NCSU before joining the group in 2025.

Liuni earned her B.S. in Physics from Radford University and a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech. Then, she joined the Laboratory of Biological and Bio-inspired Materials (LBBM) as an undergraduate researcher, where she developed a strong interest in biological materials. Currently pursuing her PhD in materials science engineering, Liuni's research focuses on biominerals, particularly their complex structure-property relationships, as well as the mechanisms governing their formation. She is especially fascinated by the skeletal elements of echinoderms. Through her exploration of these precisely controlled biological minerals in organisms, Liuni aims to uncover principles that can inspire innovative solutions for the design and development of light-weight cellular materials.

Yang earned both his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Energy and Power Engineering from Chongqing University, China, where he received several honors, including the Merit Graduate Student of Chongqing award and the National Graduate Scholarship. After that, he joined Professor Ling Li's research group in the Laboratory of Biological and Bio-Inspired Materials (LBBM) to pursue his doctoral studies. His research focuses on the thermal properties of biological materials, structural design, and material processing of bio-inspired ceramics.

Chenhao earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Virginia Tech. Chenhao’s research interest is in mechanically adaptive and tunable materials and structures, where he aims to understand how multiple skeletal elements interact with each other and function as an assembly by using a number of biological systems. His work involves multiscale 3D structural characterization and analysis, mechanical testing and analysis, and computational modeling.

Yuri received a Bachelor’s degree in Applied Chemistry from Keio University, Japan, and subsequently completed a Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Keio University. She joined a research group during their undergraduate studies and began working on biological and bio-inspired materials, where she developed a strong interest in biological and bio-inspired materials. Currently, pursuing her PhD in Materials Science and Engineering, Yuri’s research focuses on interfacial design of natural hard-soft joints. By investigating the structure and underlying mechanisms of soft–hard interfaces, an important challenge across many fields, Yuri aims to contribute to improved interface design in advanced materials.

Charlotte earned a B.S.E. and a B.S. in Materials Science and Engineering and Molecular and Cell Biology, with a minor in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology from the University of Connecticut. Her interest in biological materials began with research utilizing silkworm silk films for antifouling implant coatings. Charlotte joined the lab in 2025 as an NSF GRFP fellow and works on understanding the structure and optical properties of reflective organic crystals in animal vision, particularly in stomatopods.

Anmol is a junior at Penn, double-majoring in Chemistry and Computer Science. Originally from Buffalo Grove, Illinois, he brings his enthusiasm for analytical problem-solving to his research, which focuses on developing bio-inspired ceramics. Outside the lab, he enjoys watching football and basketball and has a particular love for spicy food. He’s eager to apply his computational and chemical expertise to new challenges in materials science research.

Tanvi is an undergraduate student studying physics at the University of Pennsylvania. Previously as a NASA research intern, she analyzed the detectability of atmospheric compounds on exoplanets. Her interest in how physical principles shape biological systems led her to join Dr. Li's Group in 2025, where she contributes to research on the structural and functional connectivity of distributed sensory systems.

Natalie is an undergraduate student studying Bioengineering and minoring in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. Her interest in bio-inspired design led her to join the lab in 2025, where she is working on a project investigating the biomechanics of plant seeds and translating them into biomedical materials and devices. The future goal is to design ultra slippery materials with applications in drug capsule coatings and beyond.

Roy Hanyong Kim is an undergraduate student studying Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Pennsylvania. His research interests center on bio-inspired materials, with a particular focus on translating biological structure–function relationships into scalable innovations for industrial and aerospace applications. He is currently investigating cactus thorns and exploring how they can inform the design of bio-needles and neural interface technologies. In the long term, he aims to translate bio-inspired research into real-world impact by launching a startup focused on bio-inspired material innovations.

Kevin is an undergraduate student studying Materials Science and Engineering. His research interests focus on developing new approaches to creating lightweight structures, with an emphasis on weaving and organizing fibrous materials to achieve efficient structural performance. Through this work, he is interested in exploring how material architecture and structural design principles can enable lightweight systems. Outside of the lab, Kevin enjoys swimming and playing word games.