Yaning Li

Yaning Li is an Associate Professor at Northeastern University's Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering, part of the College of Engineering. Her research focuses on mechanics of materials, bio-inspired engineering, additive manufacturing, and mechanical metamaterials. She holds a PhD from the University of Michigan and dual MS degrees from the same institution.

• Education: PhD (2007), University of Michigan; Dual MS (2006), University of Michigan
• Affiliations: Mechanics, Biomimetics, and 3D Printing Research Lab; American Physical Society (APS), Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers (SNAME)

Her research explores bio-inspired materials, energy absorption mechanisms, and advanced manufacturing techniques. Key projects include developing auxetic metamaterials and bio-inspired sutural designs.

• Grants & Awards: NSF CAREER Award (2016), AFOSR SFFP Fellowship (2013), IUTAM Travel Award
• Recent Recognition: 2023/2024 Stanford Top 2% Cited Scientists

Advises a diverse group of students and postdocs, including current PhD candidates Lin Gu and Yunzheng Yang. Her lab focuses on experimental and computational studies of novel materials, with applications in engineering and biomedicine.

• Labs/Teams: Mechanics, Biomimetics, and 3D Printing Research Lab
• Patents: 3D auxetic composite structures, bio-inspired metamaterials