Liu Yan

Liu Yan is an Assistant Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech). He joined SUSTech in September 2022 after completing postdoctoral research at University College London (2020-2022) and Texas Tech University (2018-2020), and was selected as a High-Level Talent of Shenzhen.

His educational background includes:

• Ph.D. in Hydraulic Engineering (Modeling Sediment Transport) from Tsinghua University (2017)
• Joint Ph.D. in Civil and Environmental Engineering from Cardiff University (2014-2015)
• B.S. in Hydraulic Engineering from Tsinghua University (2012)

Liu Yan's research focuses on eco-fluvial dynamics, with particular emphasis on the interactions among turbulence structures, sediment transport, and benthic organisms in natural water bodies. His work spans environmental fluid mechanics, hyporheic exchange processes, and ecological river dynamics, employing advanced numerical simulations and experimental approaches to investigate complex phenomena at the interface of physical and biological processes.

His recent publications demonstrate a strong interdisciplinary focus that bridges engineering, environmental science, and ecology. His research investigates how turbulence structures affect sediment transport and benthic organisms, how hyporheic exchange influences water quality, and how ecological processes impact river morphology. This work has significant implications for understanding and managing aquatic ecosystems, particularly in the context of environmental change and human impacts on river systems.

His scientific achievements have been recognized with several awards:

• Shenzhen High-Level Talents (Level C)
• Excellent Graduate of Tsinghua University
• Excellent Graduate of Universities in Beijing
• IAHR-SHCS Best Report Award

Liu Yan serves as a Doctoral Supervisor and Principal Investigator for multiple research projects. He has secured significant funding including a National Natural Science Foundation of China General Program (CNY 530,000), a Guangdong Provincial Offshore Wind Power Joint Fund project (CNY 300,000), and a Shenzhen Municipal General Project (CNY 300,000). He also participates as a sub-project leader in the Ministry of Science and Technology's Key R&D Program (CNY 14.6 million).

He actively recruits postdoctoral researchers, PhD, and Master's students for his research group focused on environmental fluid mechanics and eco-fluvial dynamics. He serves on professional committees including the Sediment Professional Committee of the Chinese Hydraulic Engineering Society and the Marine Geo-disaster and Geo-environment Committee of the International Consortium on Geo-disaster Reduction, and is a Young Editorial Board Member for the International Journal of Sediment Research.