Our faculty laboratories strive for excellence in research, education, and collaboration to create solutions for modern issues. Through a multi-disciplinary lens, graduate students in our programs experience how to research and test theories in order to achieve their goals and contribute to the vast knowledge that has been produced by the incredible faculty and scholars before them.
If you are interested in being a part of one of our research groups or collaborating on your next discovery, contact the faculty listed with the labs to get started. Your future in research at UNL awaits!
Discipline-Based Education Research in Engineering (DBER-E)
Deters Research Group
The Deters Research Group promotes inclusive practices within engineering education to successfully shepherd students from all backgrounds to graduation and into successful careers. Our research focuses on improving student success in three core research areas: (1) engineering culture, (2) graduate engineering education, and (3) transitions into the workplace. We aim to create inclusive environments and pathways that remove barriers and allow students from all backgrounds the opportunity to succeed in engineering.
Contact: Prof. Jessica Deters
Advanced Polymer Engineering Lab
Our goal is to address growing technological needs by understanding and controlling the fundamental mechanism of crystallization of polymers during processing. Semicrystalline polymers have potential for a wide range of applications in biomedicine, energy harvesting, and functional materials, Currently, advances in polymer synthesis offer unprecedented opportunities to direct crystallization, morphology, and properties, and newer technologies such as 3D-printing have not yet reached their full capabilities because structure development is complex and not well understood. Our research seeks to overcome current limitations, leading to rational design of materials/processes to obtain complex materials with advanced properties and, ultimately, to improve quality of life.
Contact: Prof. Lucia Fernandez-Ballester
Guo Lab
The research in our lab focuses on three key aspects of Metal Additive Manufacturing:
- Using advanced in-situ monitoring techniques to study the physical dynamics during laser-metal interaction;
- Developing new materials specifically tailored for laser additive manufacturing;
- Creating novel additive manufacturing methods to fabricate hard-to-process materials.
Contact: Prof. Qilin Guo
Quantum Sensing & Defect Discovery and Spectroscopy Lab
Laraoui Research Group
Welcome to the webpage of the Quantum Sensing & Defect Discovery and Spectroscopy lab at the Mechanical & Materials Engineering Department, University of Nebraska-Lincoln. Our research interests lie at the intersection of experimental condensed matter physics with quantum optics and materials science to tackle outstanding challenges in nanoscale metrology, quantum computing, and physical science. We are pursuing three-main directions: i) Quantum Sensing using nitrogen vacancy centers in diamond (nanoscale probing of condensed matter physics phenomena, biosensing); ii) exploring novel solid-state materials based on color centers in wide bandgap semiconductors and two dimensional materials for quantum sensing, quantum computing, optoelectronics, and spintronics applications; iii) coupling disant spin qubits using magnetic and optical cavities for scalable quantum networks.
Contact: Prof. Abdelghani Laraoui
Biomaterials and Mechanotransduction Lab
Lim Lab
Our group investigates cellular sensing and response to biomaterial substrate micro/nanopatterns and mechanical loading cues (mechanical stretch, flow shear). Mechanistically, our group aims to identify the regulatory role of focal adhesion, cytoskeleton, cytoskeleton-nucleus linkage, cell-cell junction, and associated mechanosensing effectors - FAK, ROCK, LINC, Cadherin, and YAP - in cell-biomaterial interaction and cell mechanotransduction. Advanced understanding of cell adaptation to mechanophysical milieus for stem cells, adipocytes, and cancer cells achieved through our group's research will provide high impact mechanistic data for developmental mechanobiology, metabolic homeostasis, and cancer metastasis.
Contact: Prof. Jung Yul Lim
Smart Materials and Robotics Laboratory
Markvicka Research Group
The Smart Materials and Robotics Laboratory is an interdisciplinary research lab within the Department of Mechanical & Materials Engineering at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. We are creating new soft multifunctional materials that are safe for human interaction and exhibit unique combinations of electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties. These efforts lie in the emerging fields of wearable computing, soft robotics, and robotic materials.
Contact: Prof. Eric Markvicka
Nelson Lab
Nelson Research Group
Dr. Nelson's research lab is dedicated to projects blending mechanical design, robotics, medicine, rehabilitation, and assorted other topics with societal relevance.
Contact: Prof. Carl Nelson
Multiphysics and Multiscale Fluid Dynamics
Park Research Group
Our research interests encompass a wide range of fluid mechanics, from low Reynolds number flows to high Reynolds number flows, involving complex fluids, colloidal suspensions, rheology, electrokinetics, biofluids and turbulent flow. We are particularly interested in fluid flow problems arising from multiphysics and multiscale phenomena. Most of our research centers around techniques for energy-saving engineering and nano/biotechnology.
Contact: Prof. Jae Sung Park
Lymphatic Biomechanics & BioEngineering Lab (LBBL)
Razavi Research Group
Our lab integrates computational modeling, bioengineering, and experimental approaches to uncover the mechanisms underlying lymphatic function in health and disease. Our research is centered on three core areas:
- Lymphatic Biomechanics: Investigating the effect of mechanical forces on lymphatic system function, immune cell trafficking, and disease progression.
- Lymphatic Tissue Engineering: Developing biomimetic models and regenerative strategies to restore and enhance lymphatic function.
- Lymphatic Imaging: Leveraging cutting-edge imaging technologies to visualize and quantify lymphatic pumping dynamics in physiological and pathological states.
Contact: Prof. Mohammad Razavi
Sutter Research Group
The Sutter Research Group at UNL is run jointly by Professor Eli Sutter (Mechanical & Materials Engineering) and Professor Peter Sutter (Electrical & Computer Engineering).
We develop and use advanced experimental methods for in-situ microscopy and probing of nanomaterials and -systems. By observing synthesis and self-assembly and measuring functional properties in complex environments, we develop novel materials architectures for energy harvesting and storage, information processing, sensing, and other core technology needs of 21st century society.
Contact: Prof. Eli Sutter • Prof. Peter Sutter
Responsive Materials & Systems Lab
Dana Research Group
We are a curiosity-driven lab with core expertise in responsive and phase-changing materials and mechanics. We are interested in understanding basic phenomena associated with the physics and chemistry of responsive polymers and in leveraging this understanding to create new materials, devices, and capabilities across a wide range of applications. Some of our interests are in the fields of advanced manufacturing, materials design, actuator design, and soft robotics.
Reach out to Dr. Dana for more information or to inquire about open positions, current projects, or opportunities for collaboration.
Contact: Dr. Asaf Dana