Li Yuan is a Postdoctoral Research Scientist at Columbia University in the group of Professor James Hone. His research focuses on two-dimensional materials and van der Waals heterostructures, with interests spanning materials synthesis, nanoscale characterization, and the interplay between structure, mechanics, and emergent physical properties.
Li received his B.S. in Engineering Mechanics from Tsinghua University in 2017 and his M.S. in Solid Mechanics from Tsinghua University in 2020. He earned his Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering and Applied Mechanics from the University of Pennsylvania under the guidance of Professor Robert W. Carpick in 2025. His doctoral research combined advanced scanning probe techniques, spectroscopy, and theoretical modeling to investigate friction, fracture, and self-assembly in atomically thin materials.