Brookhaven National Laboratory

Our group maintains an active collaboration with the Inelastic X-ray Scattering (IXS) beamline 10-ID at NSLS‑II, enabling direct measurements of collective excitations, phonons, and energy transport in lipid membranes and soft biological materials. Working closely with Yong Q. Cai and Alexei Suvorov, we probe vibrational modes, heat transfer, and nonequilibrium energy flow in membrane systems under controlled external stimuli. A key strength of this collaboration is access to a unique sample environment that integrates electrical stimulation via embedded electrodes with precise humidity and temperature control, allowing us to study field-driven and hydration-dependent dynamics under biologically relevant conditions. These experiments provide critical insight into how energy dissipation, phonon propagation, and electromechanical coupling contribute to adaptive and memory-like behavior in membranes, complementing our neutron scattering, electrophysiology, and simulation efforts.