Dr. Mingfei Zhao
Assistant Professor
Contact
- 3432 Science and Engineering Complex
- phone (205) 348-1727
Research Areas
Education
- B.S., Energy and Power Engineering (Mechanical Engineering), Shandong University, 2012
- M.S., Power Engineering Thermodynamics (Mechanical Engineering), Shandong University, 2015
- Ph.D., Mechanical Engineering, State University of New York at Binghamton, 2019
- Postdoc, Molecular Engineering, University of Chicago, 2022
- Postdoc, Theoretical Biology and Biophysics, Los Alamos National Laboratory, 2024
Dr. Mingfei Zhao joined the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering at The University of Alabama as an assistant professor in August 2024. Dr. Zhao received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Shandong University in China and her Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the State University of New York at Binghamton. She completed postdoctoral training in Molecular Engineering at the University of Chicago and Theoretical Biology and Biophysics at Los Alamos National Laboratory.
With over nine years of experience in multiscale computational modeling, Dr. Zhao specializes in understanding and manipulating hierarchical molecular and colloidal self-assembly through computational modeling for the rational design of bioinspired functional nanomaterials. Her research leverages advanced computational techniques, including macroscale multiphase fluid-particle dynamics simulations, mesoscale coarse-grained molecular simulations, and microscale all-atom molecular dynamics simulations, to address key challenges in chemical engineering, materials engineering, and bioengineering.
Dr. Zhao’s current research focuses on the application of peptoids—synthetic biomimetic polymers noted for their biocompatibility and stability — in biomedical and biochemical applications, including (1) molecular modeling of peptoid assembly for drug discovery and delivery, (2) mesoscale modeling of peptoid-grafted nanoparticle assembly for advanced nanofabrication, and (3) data-driven molecular design of functional biopolymers.
Affiliated Areas
Chemical and Biological Engineering, Poly-SM Research Center
Selected Publications
- Zheng, R., Zhao, M., Du, J., Sudarshan, T. R., … & Chen, C. L. Assembly of Short Amphiphilic Peptoids into Nanohelices with Controllable Supramolecular Chirality. Nature Communications. 2024, 15(1), 3264.
- Zhao, M., Zhang, S., Zheng, R., Alamdari, S., Mundy, C. J., Pfaendtner, J., … & Ferguson, A. L. Computational and Experimental Determination of the Properties, Structure, and Stability of Peptoid Nanosheets and Nanotubes. Biomacromolecules, 2023, 24(6), 2618-2632.
- Zhao, M., Lachowski, K. J., Zhang, S., Alamdari, S., Sampath, J., Mu, P., … & Ferguson, A. L. Hierarchical self-assembly pathways of peptoid helices and sheets. Biomacromolecules, 2022, 23(3), 992-1008.
- Zhao, M., Sampath, J., Alamdari, S., Shen, G., Chen, C. L., Mundy, C. J., … & Ferguson, A. L. MARTINI-compatible coarse-grained model for the mesoscale simulation of peptoids. The Journal of Physical Chemistry B, 2020, 124(36), 7745-7764.
- Zhao, M., & Yong, X. Modeling evaporation and particle assembly in colloidal droplets. Langmuir, 2017, 33(23), 5734-5744
Awards and Honors
- 2024 CoMSEF Postdoctoral Scholar Award for Modeling and Simulation sponsored by MSDE, AIChE.
- 2022 FOMMS Early Career Researcher Award, US Department of Energy.
- 2018 Watson School’s Graduate Research Ambassador Award, Binghamton University.