About Our Team
The group fosters a multicultural and diverse environment. We have recruited talented students and post-docs from five countries across the three continents.

Francesco Ciucci
Associate Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering & Chemical and Biological Engineering
Prof. Ciucci received his Ph.D. from the California Institute of Technology where he was supported by a Rotary Ambassadorial Scholarship and by a Bechtel Graduate Fellowship. He did postdoctoral work at the Interdisciplinary Center for Scientific Computing of the University of Heidelberg, Germany where he received a Heidelberg Graduate School Fellowship and a Marie Curie Reintegration Grant from the European Union (2010-2013). Prior to that, he graduated with a dual M.Sc. degree in Engineering Science (~applied physics and applied mathematics) at Ecole Centrale Paris, France, and in Aerospace Engineering (cum laude) at Politecnico di Milano, Italy. His current research focuses on fuel cells, batteries, and modeling of such systems using continuum and atomistic simulations.
PostDoctoral Scholars

Mohammed B. Effat
PostDoctoral Scholar, HKUST, since 2019
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2019
Awards:
- Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme, Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, 2015
Research interests: experimental and computational development of energy materials for rechargeable batteries.

Xidong Lin
PostDoctoral Scholar, HKUST, since 2019
Ph.D., Polymer Chemistry and Physics, Sun Yat-sen University, China, 2018
M.Sc., Chemistry, University of Houston, U.S., 2014
B.Sc., Applied Chemistry, Sun Yat-sen University, China, 2014

Zhiqi Zhang
PostDoctoral Scholar, HKUST, since 2019
Ph.D., School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Nanjing University, China, 2018
M.Eng., Nonferrous Metallurgy, Northeastern University, China, 2011
B.Eng., Metallurgical Engineering, Northeastern University, China, 2009

Zheng Wang
PostDoctoral Scholar, HKUST, since 2020
Postdoctoral researcher, School of Chemical Biology and Biotechnology, Peking University Shenzhen Graduate School, 2017-2019
Ph.D., Department of Chemistry, HKUST, 2013-2017
B.Sc., Department of Chemistry, Harbin Institute of Technology, 2009-2013

Jiapeng Liu
PostDoctoral Scholar, HKUST, since 2020
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2020
B.Eng., Northwestern Polytechnical University.
Research interest: theoretical study of energy-related materials using density functional theory as well as machine learning techniques

Stephen Kwok
Research Associate, HKUST, since 2015
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2015
B.Eng., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2007
Graduate Students

Ting Hei Wan
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2020
M.Phil., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2015
B.Sc., Mechanical Engineering (first class honors), HKUST, 2013
Awards:
- Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme, Research Grants Council (RGC) of Hong Kong, 2015
- Simatelex Charitable Foundation Scholarship, 2013
- The Chartered Institution of Building Services Engineers Prize, 2013
- The Hongkong Electric Co Ltd Scholarship, 2012
- Dean’s List, 2010-13

Junxiong Wu
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2020
M.Eng., Material Engineering, Tsinghua University, 2016
B.Eng., Material Science and Engineering, Fuzhou University, 2013
Awards:
- Best Poster Award, International Forum on Graphene, 2015
- Excellent Graduate of Fuzhou University, 2013
- National Scholarship, 2012

Jing YU
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2021 expected
M.Phil., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2018
B.Eng., Chemical Engineering and Technology, Nanjing Tech University, China, 2008

Alessio Belotti
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2021 expected
M.Sc., Energy Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2014
B.Sc., Mechanical Design Manufacture and Automation, Tongji University, China, 2015
Dual B.Sc., Mechanical and Production Engineering, Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino, Italy, 2010
Awards:
- Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme, Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, 2018-21
- Long Life Program scholarship for European ERASMUS students, MIUR, 2011
- PoliTong Sino-Italian Campus scholarship, MIUR, 2008-09

Emanuele Quattrocchi
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2021 expected
M.Phil., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2018
M.Sc., Chemical Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2006
B.Sc., Chemical Engineering
Awards:
- Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme, Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, 2018-21
- 2nd year M.Sc. Scholarship Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2004
- 2nd year B.Sc. Scholarship Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2001

Antonino Curcio
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2021 expected
M.Sc., Energy Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2017
B.Sc., Mechanical Design Manufacture and Automation, Tongji University, China, 2018
Dual B.Sc., Mechanical and Production Engineering, Politecnico di Milano and Politecnico di Torino, Italy, 2015
Awards:
- Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme, Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, 2019-22
- European Engineering Team ERASMUS+ Grant Program, MIUR, 2017
- PoliTong Sino-Italian Campus scholarship, MIUR, 2013-14

Simona Pepe
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2021 expected
M.Sc., Energy Engineering Power Production, Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2016
B.Sc., Energy Engineering, Politecnico di Milano, Italy, 2013
Awards:
- Hong Kong Ph.D. Fellowship Scheme, Research Grants Council of Hong Kong, 2019
- Long Life Program scholarship for European Erasmus students, MIUR, 2013
- Gran Sasso – Princeton Physics Summer Camp, INFIN, 2010

Md Raziun Bin Mamtaz
M.Phil., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2020
B.Eng., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2017
B.Eng., Mechanical Engineering (Exchange), Georgia Tech, 2015
Awards:
- Postgraduate Studentship (PGS) 2018-20
- President’s Cup (Honorary) 2017
- Outstanding Engineering Project Award 2017
- Dean’s List 2016
- World Highest in Mathematics (GCE Cambridge) 2011-13

Yuhao Wang
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2023 expected
M.Sc., Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, HKUST, 2019
B.Eng., Chemical Engineering and Technology, China University of Mining and Technology, Beijing (CUMTB), China, 2017
Complete CV: http://yuhao.wang
Awards:
- CUMTB Excellent Student Scholarship, CUMTB, 2014/2015/2016
- CUMTB Excellent Undergraduate Graduation Design (Thesis), CUMTB, 2017

Guodong Zhou
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2023 expected
M.Eng., Polymer Materials, Zhejiang University, China, 2019
B.Eng., Macromolecular Materials and Engineering, Zhejiang University, China, 2016
Awards:
- Outstanding Graduates of Zhejiang University, 2016, 2019
- Excellent League Cadre of Zhejiang University, 2014
- Second-Class Scholarship for Outstanding Students, 2013, 2014

Ho Mei Law
M.Phil., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2021 expected
B.Eng. (Hons), Materials Engineering, City University of Hong Kong, 2016
Summer Internship, Electronic Engineering, The University of York, UK, 2015
Dengjie Chen
PostDoctoral Scholar, HKUST, 2013-15
Hong Zhao
PostDoctoral Scholar, HKUST, 2014-15
Chi Chen
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2013-16
Mattia Saccoccio
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2013-17
Yang Gao
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2014-17
Ziheng Lu
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2015-18
Jian Wang
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2015-18
Yu-Qi Lyu
Ph.D., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2016-19
Zarah Medina Baiyee
M.Phil., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2014-15
Kwun Yu Lam
M.Phil., Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, HKUST, 2016-17