Dist. Professor Leslie Yeo is a distinguished faculty member at RMIT University's School of Engineering, where he leads the Micro/Nanophysics Research Laboratory (MNRL). With a PhD from Imperial College London (2002), he has held positions at Monash University and the University of Notre Dame before joining RMIT. His research focuses on the interactions between high-frequency sound waves and matter at micro and nanoscales. Leslie Yeo's educational background includes a PhD from Imperial College London (2002), where he received the Dudley Newitt prize for outstanding computational/theoretical work. Prior to his academic career, he worked as a Mathematical Modeller at Det Norske Veritas UK. He held prestigious Australian Research Fellowships (2009-2017) that supported his groundbreaking work in micro and nanophysics. Professor Yeo's research interests center around high-frequency (MHz order) sound waves interacting with various materials including fluids, two-dimensional and bulk crystals, biomolecules, cells and microorganisms. His work explores both fundamental physicochemical phenomena and practical applications in microfluidics, drug delivery, diagnostics, tissue engineering, and materials synthesis. His research has significant implications for health technologies, environmental applications, and sustainable energy solutions, aligning with UN Sustainable Development Goals 3 (Good Health and Well-Being) and 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy). Analysis of Professor Yeo's recent publications reveals a strong focus on acoustofluidics and its diverse applications. His work demonstrates expertise in using surface acoustic waves for bacterial inactivation, synthesis of metal-organic frameworks, cell membrane manipulation, and energy conversion technologies. The research spans multiple disciplines including biomedical engineering, materials science, and environmental technology, with particular emphasis on practical applications that address real-world challenges. 2023: Fellowship of the Institution of Engineering & Technology (FIET) 2021: RMIT University Science, Technology, Engineering & Medicine College Research Impact Award 2019: RMIT University Distinguished Professorship 2018: RMIT University Vice-Chancellor's Award for Research Excellence 2016: Johnson & Johnson World Without Disease Quickfire Challenge Award 2007: Young Tall Poppy Science Award Professor Yeo has supervised numerous research students across engineering and science disciplines, with current projects focusing on acoustomicrofluidic synthesis of nanomaterials, high-frequency mechanobiology applications, and diagnostic technologies. His editorial roles include Editor-in-Chief of the American Institute of Physics journal Biomicrofluidics and Associate Editor of Frontiers in Bioengineering & Biotechnology. His work has been widely featured in media outlets including ABC's Catalyst, The Economist, and Nature. The Micro/Nanophysics Research Laboratory under Professor Yeo's leadership is at the forefront of fundamental and applied research on nonlinear high-frequency electroacoustic interactions. The laboratory has discovered novel physicochemical phenomena and actively develops theories to explain the fundamental mechanisms behind these discoveries, with applications ranging from medical diagnostics to sustainable energy solutions.
