Principal Investigator

楚夏昆
Assistant Professor
Advanced Materials Thrust
Function Hub, HKUST (GZ), Website
Email: xiakunchu@ust.hk
Phone: +86-13894851824
Office: 020-88332607, W3-6F-07 on campus
Education:
2009-2014, Ph.D. in Theoretical Physics, Jilin University (Supervisor: Prof. Jin Wang)
2005-2009, B.S. in Physics, Jilin University
Research Experiences:
2022-now, Assistant Professor at HKUST (GZ)
2018-2022, Postdoctoral Researcher (with Prof. Jin Wang), Stony Brook University, Stony Brook, United States
2015-2018, Postdoctoral Researcher (with Prof. Victor Muñoz), IMDEA-Nanociencia, Madrid, Spain
2014-2015, Research Assistant (with Profs. Erkang Wang and Jin Wang), Changchun Institute of Applied Chemistry, Changchun, China
Students

PhD Student (22Fall)
B.S. in Physics (Nanjing University)
Email: cxu807@connect.hkust-gz.edu.cn
I got my B.S. degree in physics (biophysics) at Kuang Yaming Honors School, Nanjing University. Now I am a Ph.D. student in Prof CHU’s group. My main research interest is computational biophysics, including protein conformational dynamics, coarse-grained modeling, etc. I am fond of reading and singing. I like playing board games and chatting with friends from far and wide. Usually, I do enjoy walking out in the evening, with my favorite music in my ears and best friends by my side.

PhD Student (22Fall)
B.S. in Physics & Computer Science (Jilin University)
Email: gzhang733@connect.hkust-gz.edu.cn
I got double major B.S. degrees in physics and computer science from Jilin university. Now I am a Ph.D. student in Prof CHU’s group. The research I would like to focus on is the complex system of biophysics. That includes protein folding, macromolecular structure, molecular dynamics, etc. My hobbies are basketball, ping-pong, running, photography, and reading.

PhD Student (24Fall)
B.S. in Physics (Jilin University)
M.S. in AMAT (HKUST(GZ))
Email: sxu128@connect.hkust-gz.edu.cn
I come from Lanzhou, Gansu Province where is the westnorth China. Then went to Jilin University where is northeast China for my B.S. degree. And now I’m at HKUST(GZ) where is the very south China. My learning experience form a stable triangle.
Now I’m focusing on the enzymatic degradation of plastic especially the enzyme called PETase. All-atom simulations will be conducted in my research.
I believe that a physist who can not play badmiton is not a good photographer. FPV drones and reading also mean a lot to me.

PhD Student (23Fall)
B.S. in Physics (Jilin University)
Email: cbfengphy@gmail.com
I got my bachelor’s degree in physics from the Physics College, Jilin University. I am pursuing my doctoral degree in Prof. Chu’s group. My research interest is exploring the relationship between structure, dynamics and functions of macromolecules, like proteins and chromosomes, by building physics-based models and performing molecular dynamics simulations.
I have a wide range of hobbies. Pingpang and badminton are the seasonings of my postgraduate life. In addition to the fun they bring themselves, they are also good tools for balancing the physical wear and tear caused by long-term office work and good tools for making friends. I enjoy Chinese calligraphy. Through this skill, I have represented our university in sending calligraphy works to the former Hong Kong Chief Executive Ms. Carrie Lam, and designed fonts for postcards issued by our AMAT thrust. Aside from these, I like reading various books, chess, music, literature and so on. As a result, I also pursue elegance and aesthetic taste in my life and research work.

PhD Student (23Fall)
B.S. in Chemical engineering and industrial bioengineering(Dalian University of Technology)
M.S. in Chemical engineering (Sun Yat-Sen University)
E-mail: zhaobr@yeah.net
I got my BSc and MSc in DUT and SYSU respectively. I am currently pursuing Ph. D. under the supervision of Prof. Chu. My research mainly focuses on applying coarse-grained simulation on soft matter and developing multiscale coarse-graining methods for biomolecules. How interesting it is to utilize the power of the computer to precisely state the properties of biosystems! My ORCiD: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8425-0821

PhD Student (23Fall)
B.S in Physics (Huaihua University)
M.S in Physics (Zhejiang Normal University)
Email: jchen901@connect.hkust-gz.edu.cn
I’m currently pursuing my PhD in the group of Prof. Chu. The research I did during my master’s is about the interactions between biomembrane and protein using coarse-grained and all-atom combined molecular dynamics simulation methods. After that, I went to Zhejiang University as a research assistant for a year.
I’m not a smart person, but sometimes I can also find some inspiration in scientific research. I’m not a hardworking person, but I’m willing to stay up all night to solve a scientific research problem. I’m not a person who likes to be tormented by things, but I can still maintain some love for scientific research. So, why not do research?

Mphil Student (24Fall)
B.S. in Physics (Jilin University)
Email: chuo657@connect.hkust-gz.edu.cn
I join Prof CHU’s group as one-year Research Assistant after I got my B.S. degree in physics at Jilin University. Currently, I’m pursing my Mphil degree in Prof CHU’s group. My research will focus on using all kinds of simulation methods to do protein design. And I’ m interested in how scientific research can be transferred into industrial product which can benefit the society. During my spare time, I love to chat with people. When I’m in a good mood, I am an enthusiastic talker. I also enjoy swimming and reading physical books. I enjoy a healthy and balanced lifestyle. I have no resistance to oranges, watermelons, or high-performance electronic products. Feel free to email me. (✧◡✧)

PhD Student (24Fall)
B.S. in Modern Engineering and Applied Sciences (Najing University)
M.S. in Biomedical Engineering (Southern University of Science and Technology)
E-mail: jtang163@connect.hkust.edu.cn
Born in the remote mountains of Yunnan, I achieved the highest score in the college entrance exam in my county. I graduated from the School of Modern Engineering and Applied Sciences at Nanjing University. After graduation, I worked at CATL for one year before leaving just before the company’s rapid rise to success. I then pursued graduate studies in Zhang Bo’s research group at the Department of Biomedical Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology. During a fruitful period for the research group, I contributed to several notable publications and, in my spare time, cultivated 300 pots of various rose varieties. In August 2024, I joined my current research group and began my research work. As an avid Skywatcher, I enjoy stargazing, cloud watching, and sunset watching. I also have a very cute Ragdoll cat. i person.

PhD Student (24Fall)
B.S. in Optoelectronics (South China Normal University)
E-mail: xcai553@connect.hkust-gz.edu.cn
I come from Dezhou, a small city located in Shandong province. And I got my B.S. degree in South China Normal University, where my research topic mainly focused on optics simulation. Now, I am a PhD candidate in Prof. CHU’s group. If you have interest in MD simulation, I am willing to have a talk with you.

PhD Student (25Fall)
B.S. in Physics (Zhejiang Normal University)
M.S. in Physics (Zhejiang Normal University)
E-mail: ycao878@connect.hkust-gz.edu.cn
My academic journey began at Zhejiang Normal University, where I completed both my B.S. and M.S. degrees in physics. Currently, I am a Ph.D. student in Professor Chu’s group. My research focuses on exploring the liquid-liquid phase separation phenomena of intrinsically disordered proteins/regions relevant to cancer, aiming to develop highly effective therapeutic drugs. I am truly excited to delve into the secrets of life using molecular dynamics simulations and physics theories. I’d like to share a thought that constantly encourages me: ‘Shit happens in research, but don’t lose faith; you get a chance to enhance your ability and mind, which will be a treasure in the future.’

PhD Student (25Fall)
B.S. in Applied Physics (Southwest Jiaotong University)
M.S. in Materials Science and Engineering (China Academy of Engineering Physics)
E-mail: yshi647@connect.hkust-gz.edu.cn
I come from Henan Province, China, which is a magical place. After graduating from high school, I obtained an undergraduate degree and a master’s degree from southwestjiaotonguniversity and China Academy of Engineering Physics, respectively. I am now studying for my doctorate under the guidance of Prof. Chu. Since my undergraduate course, I have done some work related to computational simulation. I am also interested in it, so I am very happy to continue to do relevant work now. In my daily life, I think I am a person with a wide range of interests. I like cute animals, reading, listening to music, watching competitive games (table tennis, badminton, football, E-sports), playing table tennis, eating delicious food and so on. I like everything interesting.