Education

• Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, 2012

• M.A., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Princeton University, 2009

• M.S., Materials Science and Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2007

• B.S., Mechanical Engineering and Automation, Tsinghua University, 2005

 Work Experience

• 2024-Present, Southern University of Science and Technology, Professor of Mechanics and Aerospace Engineering

• 2022-2024, Pennsylvania State University, Tenured Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering 

• 2015-2022, Pennsylvania State University, Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering 

• 2013-2015, University of California, San Francisco, School of Dentistry, Postdoc

Research Interests

Mechanics and Materials; Fracture Mechanics; Biomechanics; Biomaterials; Medical Devices; Bio-inspired Design.

Selected Honors and Awards

• Young Leaders Professional Development Award, Functional Materials Division (FMD) of The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS), 2023

• National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award, 2022

• Powe Junior Faculty Enhancement Award, Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU), 2017

• Young Investigator Award, Biomineralization Group of International Association of Dental Research, 2015

Representative Journal Articles

12. G. Liu*, K. Hattar, W. Windes, A. Haque, J. Du, Finite element modeling of micro-X-ray tomography experiments on NBG-18 nuclear graphite, Journal of Nuclear Materials, 595, pp 155056, 2024.

11. Y. Zhou*, J. Du, Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and its applications to bone-related research. Progress in Biophysics and Molecular Biology, 176, pp52–66, 2022. (Invited Paper)

10. K. Su*, C. Gao*, G. Qiu, L. Yuan, J. Yang, J. Du, Numerical simulation of mechanically adaptive bone remodeling around teeth and implants: A comparison with clinical images. JOM, 74(12), pp4640–4651, 2022. (Invited Paper)

9. Y. Zhou*, J. Dang, Y. Chen, S. G. Zheng, J. Du, Microstructure and mechanical behaviors of tibia for collagen induced arthritic mice treated with gingiva-derived mesenchymal stem cells. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 124, pp 104719, 2021.

8. Y. Tang*, K. Su*, R. Man**, M. Hillman, J. Du, Investigation of internal cracks in epoxy-alumina using in situ mechanical testing coupled with micro-CT. JOM, 73, pp2452–2459, 2021. (Invited Paper)

7. K. Su*, Y. Zhou*, M. Hossaini-Zadeh, J. Du, Effects of implant buccal distance on peri-implant strain: A micro-CT based finite element analysis. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 116, pp104325, 2021.

6. Y. Zhou*, M. Kastner, T. Tighe, J. Du, Elastic modulus mapping for bovine cortical bone from submillimeter- to submicron-scales using PeakForce Tapping atomic force microscopy. Extreme Mechanics Letters, 41, pp101031, 2020.

5. Y. Zhou*, C. Gong**, M. Hossaini-Zadeh, J. Du, 3D Full-field strain in bone-implant and bone-tooth constructs and their morphological influential factors. Journal of the Mechanical Behavior of Biomedical Materials, 110, pp103858, 2020.

4. Y. Zhou*, C. Gong**, G. Lewis, A. Armstrong, J. Du, 3D full-field biomechanical testing of a glenoid before and after implant placement. Extreme Mechanics Letters. 35, pp100614, 2020.

3. J. Du, J. Lee, A. Jang, A. Gu, A. J Miller, R. Prevost, M. Hossaini-Zadeh, D. Curtis, S. Ho, Biomechanics and strain mapping in bone as related to immediately-loaded dental implants. Journal of Biomechanics, 48(12), pp 3486–3494, 2015.

2. J. Du, X. Niu, N. Rahbar, W. Soboyejo, Bio-inspired dental multilayers: Effects of layer architecture on the contact-induced deformation. Acta Biomaterialia, 9(2), pp 5273–9, 2013.

1. J. Du, P. Zeng, Molecular vibrational modes of C60 and C70 via finite element method. European Journal of Mechanics A/Solids. 28(5), pp948–954, 2009.

Research Projects

• January 2022 - December 2026, "CAREER: Structures and Properties of Bone at Multiple Length Scales," (Sponsor: National Science Foundation)， PI.

• October 2018 - September 2024, "An Integrated Computational-Experimental Approach to Three-dimensional Fracture in Polymer-Ceramic Composites," (Sponsor: National Science Foundation), PI since 2022.

• September 2020 - August 2022, "Biomechanics Study towards Patient-specific Implants for Osteoarthritic Shoulders," (Sponsor: Penn State College of Engineering, College of Medicine, Center for Biodevices), PI.

• May 2018 - June 2019, "Assessing the Performance of Additively Manufactured Variable Lattice Structures," (Sponsor: Stryker Corporation), co-PI.

• June 2017 - May 2018, "3-dimensional Full-Field Mechanical Properties and Microstructure Measurement of Polymer-Ceramic Composites," (Sponsor: Oak Ridge Associated Universities), PI.

• March 2017 - June 2018, "Adhesion between a polymer and a transition metal oxide: Atomic- and macro- scales investigations," (Sponsor: Material Computation Center - Penn State University), PI.

• August 2017 - July 2018, "Image-based alveolar bone biomechanics study: From laboratory to clinical computed tomography (CT)," (Sponsor: Clinical and Translational Science Institute - Penn State University; National Institutes of Health (NIH), PI.

Professional Service

• Professional Societies

• Chair, Biomaterials Committee, Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS)

• Member, Mechanical Behavior of Materials Committee, Minerals, Metals and Materials Society (TMS)

• Member, Bone Mechanics Theme, Solids Technical Committee, Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference (SB3C)

• Editorial Experiences

• Associate Editor– ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, 2023-present.

• Editorial Board – Frontiers in Bioengineering and Biotechnology, Frontiers in Molecular Biosciences and Frontiers in Materials, 2020-present.

• Editorial Board – Scientific Reports, 2019-2023.

• Editor – Elsevier’s book series on Comprehensive Structural Integrity, Volume 9 Bioengineering, 2023.

• Guest Editor – 5 Special issues for JOM journal, 2021-2022.

• Grant Review

• National Science Foundation (NSF)

• National Institutes of Health (NIH)

• Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU)

• Research Grant Council (RGC) of Hong Kong, China

• Paris Region Fellowship Programme

• Conference Organizing

• Symposia Organizer, Session Chair, and Judge: TMS annual meeting; Summer Biomechanics, Bioengineering, and Biotransport Conference (SB3C); International Symposium on Computer Methods on Biomechanics and Biomedical Engineering (CMBBE); International Congress of Dento-Maxillo-Facial Radiology and Joint Conference of the American Academy of Oral & Maxillofacial Radiology; ASME's International Mechanical sEngineering Congress and Exposition (IMECE), Annual Meeting of American Association for Dental Research (AADR).