Members

I am a theoretical physicist with interests in fluid dynamics, ordered systems, soft condensed matter and non-equilibrium statistical mechanics. My current research project is on a fluid mechanic analogue to the Aharonov-Bohm (AB) effect. The AB effect is a quantum phenomenon where an electrically charged particle is affected by the magnetic vector potential even when the magnetic field in the permitted region is zero. In classical electrodynamics the magnetic vector potential is a mathematical tool and it is only the magnetic field that can have observable consequences, but in quantum mechanics the AB effect makes it possible to observe an interaction between a particle and the vector potential when the field is absent. The fluid analogue to the electrically charged particle is surface waves, while the vector potential (in the absence of a magnetic field) takes the form of an irrotational vortex.

I am a postdoc researching the dynamics of particle-laden interfaces, 2D triboelectric system,  mechanical/acoustic properties of exotic material and locomotion of burrowing fish in sand. I completed my master degree in high energy physics at National Taiwan University, Taiwan, in 2014 and my PhD in 2022 working with Prof. Sidney Nagel at the University of Chicago. During my doctoral work, I studied the failure and cluster formation of particle rafts under expansional flow at different geometries. I am a passionate bunny lover and enjoy learning Sanshin and exploring Okinawa in my free time.

My current research at OIST focuses on the evolutionary transformation of the locomotor system and anatomical elaborations of the pectoral fin of amphibious mudskippers (oxudercinae gobies) using modern imaging techniques such as x-ray micro-computed tomography. Specializing in 3D imaging and subsequent data segmentation has facilitated collaborative projects encompassing research questions related to organismal biology, morphological diversification, or ontogenetic development involving bony fishes as well as invertebrates. I further study the cryptic deep-sea shark community of the Ryukyus Archipelago and mainland Japan by combining comparative morphology and phylogenetics in order to understand their biodiversity and endemicity.

Howdy! I'm a PhD student studying the structure of spiderwebs and the interactions between spiders and their prey using the toolkit of statistical physics and network analysis. In particular, I am interested in the style of web woven by members of the Latrodectus genus, including Australian red backs and American black widows. These eight-legged friends weave webs which are composed of many vertical gumfooted threads, making them capable of ensnaring land-based prey, instead of the usual menagerie of airborne creatures.

Before coming to OIST, I studied the stability of perturbed granular materials in microgravity, and frictional contact dynamics in laboratory-scale granular systems at North Carolina State University.

I am a PhD student studying the interactions between water-waves and vortices. Currently I am working on creating an experimental set up that allows us to look at the hydrodynamical analogue of the Aharonov-Bohm effect.  The Aharonov-Bohm effect originally came from Quantum Mechanics. It is known that whenever a charged particle moves through a region where a magnetic field is present it aquires a phase. What the Aharonov-Bohm effect showcased was, that a charged particle can acquire a phase shift even when it passes through a region where a field is not present and it thereby showcased the importance of the potentials. 
We can recreate this effect by using water waves generated on the surface of water that approach a vortex, and acquire a similar phase shift.
 

Previously at Ashoka University I have worked on, how does surface tension affect the vector potential of water waves when we are in the intermediate regime of gravity-capillary waves.

Coming from the field of fish biology, I aim to combine both biology and physics to tackle research questions with an interdisciplinary approach. I am a PhD student studying the intriguing burrowing behavior of the Spotted garden eel Heteroconger hassi, belonging to the Heterocongrinae subfamily. Species of this group are known to live in long burrows on the sandy ocean floors, keeping the structural integrity of their dens by using the mucus they secrete. Overall, my project will include biomechanics and morphology, granular physics and dynamics, along with some biochemistry.

Before enrolling at OIST, I completed my both my undergraduate and graduate (MSc) studies in Biology at the American University of Beirut (AUB) in Lebanon. The focus of my Master’s thesis was molecular phylogenetics of invasive and cryptic fish species in the Mediterranean Sea.