Professor SONG Bai
Associate Professor
Peking University

Presentation Title: Extreme thermal transport for cooling future chips

Abstract 
Dissipation of ultrahigh heat fluxes (on the order of 1 kW cm-2) is crucial to the performance, reliability, and sustainability of modern electronic chips as they become ever more compact and powerful. In this talk, I will highlight our recent progress in achieving extreme thermal transport both within materials and across interfaces. I will first demonstrate how phonon band engineering and isotope engineering have unlocked record-high thermal conductivities in single crystals of cubic boron arsenide and boron nitride. Moving beyond bulk properties, I will highlight the observation of unusually high thermal conductances across superlubric homo- and hetero-interfaces. To conclude, I will discuss embedded microfluidic chip cooling, a transformative approach centering on enhanced convective heat removal at solid-liquid interfaces. 

Biography 
Prof. SONG explores at the intersections of thermal science, nanotechnology, and ultrafast physics, with a keen interest in probing mechanisms and pushing limits. He earned his BE and ME at Tsinghua University, PhD at the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, and worked as a postdoctoral associate at MIT before joining Peking University in 2019. His recent projects focus on near-field thermal radiation, extreme thermal conductivity and interfacial thermal conductance, exotic phonon dynamics and transport, thermal diodes of ultrahigh rectification ratios, unusual isotope effects in condensed matter, embedded microfluidic chip cooling, and confined mass transport. He is a recipient of the 2020 XPLORER PRIZE.

Professor ZHAO Ruike Renee
Assistant Professor
Stanford University

Presentation Title: Milli-Spinner Thrombectomy for Paradigm-Shift Stroke Treatment

Abstract 
Stroke is a leading cause of death and the number one cause of long-term disability worldwide. Although mechanical thrombectomy has transformed acute ischemic stroke treatment, current approaches rely on catheter-based clot retrieval or aspiration and remain limited by clot composition, vessel tortuosity, and incomplete recanalization. This talk presents milli-spinner thrombectomy, a mechanics-guided strategy for endovascular clot removal based on mechanically driven clot shrinkage. The spinning device generates strong local shear that progressively compacts and reduces 95% clot volume, facilitating efficient recanalization. Beyond the tethered system, this technology also enables a new generation of endovascular robotic surgery systems, where the magnetic milli-spinner microbot capable of propulsion and navigation through highly tortuous vascular anatomy while performing targeted clot debulking. 

Biography 
Prof. ZHAO is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, where she is also a Terman Faculty Fellow and Gabilan Faculty Fellow. She earned her Ph.D. in Solid Mechanics from Brown University and completed her postdoctoral training at MIT. Renee’s research focuses on the design of stimuli-responsive composites and structural instability-based shape-morphing mechanisms for multifunctional robotic systems and medical devices. She is a recipient of the US Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE), a Kavli Fellow by the US National Academy of Sciences, and one of MIT Technology Review's 35 Innovators Under 35. Her research has resulted in over twenty patents and patent applications, and innovations from her lab have led to translational efforts aimed at delivering revolutionary technologies to improve disease treatment.