Ruike Renee Zhao

Ruike Renee Zhao is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Stanford University, directing the Soft Intelligent Materials Laboratory. Her research bridges mechanics, material science, and advanced manufacturing to develop multifunctional robotic systems with shape-changing, sensing, and navigation capabilities. She also holds a courtesy appointment in Materials Science and Engineering.

• BS, Xi'an Jiaotong University (2012)
• MS & PhD, Brown University (2014 & 2016)
• Postdoctoral Associate, MIT (2016-2018)
• Assistant Professor, Ohio State University (2018-2021)

Her work focuses on stimuli-responsive soft composites for applications in soft robotics, miniaturized biomedical devices, robotic surgery, origami systems, active metamaterials, and deployable morphing structures. She develops materials with tunable mechanical properties through magnetic actuation, thermal responses, and programmable geometries.

Recent publication trends highlight advancements in magneto-mechanical metamaterials enabling acoustic wave regulation, origami-based robotics with distributed actuation, and multimodal shape transformation via magnetic-thermal synergies. Her 2025 Nature study on "Milli-spinner thrombectomy" demonstrates medical robotics for clot treatment, while 2024 PNAS work explores biomimetic trunk-inspired actuators.

• ARO Early Career Program (ECP) Award (2023)
• AFOSR Young Investigator Research Program (YIP) Award (2023)
• Eshelby Mechanics Award for Young Faculty (2022)
• NSF CAREER Award (2020)

Her Soft Intelligent Materials Laboratory leverages analytical, numerical, and experimental tools to study stimuli-responsive materials under stress, temperature, light, chemical, electric, or magnetic fields. Current projects include hexagonal ring origami, magnetic dynamic polymers, and cephalopod-inspired robotic arms with omnidirectional deformations.