Ching-Yao Lai

Ching-Yao Lai is an Assistant Professor of Geophysics at Stanford University, leading the Lai Research Group. His work integrates mathematical and machine-learned models with observational data to study ice dynamics, geophysics, and fluid mechanics across vast spatial scales. Key focuses include understanding ice-sheet behavior under climate change, fluid-elastic interactions, and interdisciplinary collaborations. He holds a Ph.D. (2018, Princeton University) in Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and a B.S. (2013, National Taiwan University) in Physics.

Research interests span ice dynamics, climate science, and fluid mechanics, with emphasis on machine learning applications to uncover missing physics in ice-sheet models. Notable contributions include discovering self-similar blow-up solutions for Euler equations and developing physics-informed neural networks. His work bridges theory and observation, addressing global challenges like ice-sheet vulnerability.

Scientific awards include the 2024 Sloan Research Fellowship and 2023 Google Research Scholar Award. He leads NSF-funded projects on singularities in incompressible flows and Greenland meltwater pathways. Advising highlights include mentoring students like Yongji Wang (Science publication, 2025) and Yuno Iwasaki (2024 Soros Fellow).

Labs/Teams: Lai Research Group at Stanford, collaborating across geophysics, engineering, and computer science. Active in open science, with a YouTube channel and Google Scholar profile.