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Research

- The Beginning of Infinity -

We work at the intersection of engineering and medicine!

Our research is intrigued by fundamental fluid mechanics as well as the pathology of leading mortality diseases (such as heart attacks and strokes). We share our ideas through fluids journals such as the Journal of Fluid Mechanics as well as clinical journals such as Blood. Currently, the research topics include:


  • Topic 1: Complex fluids and rheology

  • Topic 2: Mechanobiology and binding kinetics 

  • Topic 3: Medical devices and hemocompatibility

  • Topic 4: Scientific computing and machine learning

Check out our academic genealogy here!

Funding Support

Journal Articles

†Author for Correspondence, *Equal Contribution, **Advisee

[J25] Modified suspension-balance model for deformable particle suspensions: Application to blood flows with cell-free layer

        HA Castillo-Sánchez**, W Ortiz, R Martin, R Tuna**, RR Rao, & Z. L. Liu† (2026) Physical Review Fluids, 11, 043102. 

[J24] Engineered Microparticles Suggest Proteolysis as a Critical Prerequisite for Chromatin Clearance in Macrophage Phagosomes

        M Fukuda, M Soto, J Perkins, G De Jesus, D Joshi, Z L Liu, T P Driscoll, Y Li, Y Ren, J. Guan† (2026) ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces, 18, 11, 

        16137–16147. 

[J23] RBCs promote VWF tension-dependent activation and hemostatic clot formation under hemodilution: A combined in silico and ex vivo study

        Z. L. Liu†, R. Tuna**, B. Zeng, C. Bresette, & D. Ku, (2026) Blood, 3056-3056. 

[J22] Biomanufacturing and Curcumin-Loading of HCP Organoid-Derived EVs from a VW Bioreactor to Alleviate Neuro-Inflammation. 

        J. Ene, L. Muok, V. Gonzalez, N. Sanchez, A. Nathani, F. Syed**, Z. L. Liu, M. Singh, T. Driscoll, & Y. Li† (2025). Biomedicines, 13(5), 1069. 

[J21] Biomanufacturing and lipidomics analysis of EVs secreted by human blood vessel organoids in a vertical wheel bioreactor. 

        J. Ene, C. Liu, F. Syed**, L. Sun, D. Berry, P. Durairaj, Z. L. Liu, C. Zeng, S. Jung, Y. Li† (2025) Stem Cell Research & Therapy, 16, 207.

[J20] Unraveling the Determinant Mechanisms in Flow-Mediated Crystal Growth and Phase Behaviors 

L. C. Willis**, T.D. Janicki, R.R. Rao, & Z. L. Liu† (2025) Crystals, 15(2), 157.

[J19] Brain Cytochrome P450: Navigating Neurological Health and Metabolic Regulation

P. Durairaj **, & Z. L. Liu† (2025) Journal of Xenobiotics, 15(2), 44.

[J18] ISTH State of the Art Capsule: Shear-Induced Platelet Aggregation: The Hemodynamic Pathway for Occlusive Thrombosis and Hemostasis

Z. L. Liu†*, et.al*, (2024) Research and Practice in Thrombosis and Haemostasis (RPTH), 102432 (IF: 6.4) 

[J17] Biorheology and mechanobiology in thrombosis and hemostasis: Perspectives from multiscale computation

R. Tuna**, W. Yi, E. Cruz, JP Romero, Y. Ren, J. Guan, Y. Li, Y. Deng, D. Bluestein,  Z. L. Liu*†, et al.* (2024) International Journal of Molecular Science, 25(9), 4800 (IF: 6.2)

[J16] Microfluidic study of retention and elimination of abnormal red blood cells by human spleen with implications for sickle cell disease

Y. Qiang, A. Sissoko, Z. L. Liu, T. Dong, F. Zheng, F. Kong, J.M. Higgins, G.E. Karniadakis, P.A. Buffet, S. Suresh†, M. Dao†, (2023) Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 120(6), e2217607120 (ScienceDaily, MITnews, NTUnews, TechnologyNetworks, PrecisionMedicine) (IF: 11.1)

[J15] SIPA in 10 milliseconds: VWF tentacles agglomerate and capture platelets under high shear

     Z. L. Liu, C. Bresette, C. K. Aidun, D. N. Ku†, (2022) Blood Advances, 6(8), 2453-2465 9 (IF: 7.5)

[J14] How the spleen reshapes and retains young and old red blood cells: A computational investigation

     H. Li*, Z. L. Liu*, Lu Lu, P. Buffet, G. E. Karniadakis†, (2021) PLOS Computational Biology, 17(11), e1009516

[J13] Computational modeling of biomechanics and biorheology of heated red blood cells

Z. L. Liu*, H. Li*, Y. Qiang, P. Buffet, M. Dao, G. E. Karniadakis†, (2021) Biophysical Journal, 120(21), 4663-4671

[J12] Phase-Field-Lattice Boltzmann Method for Dendritic Growth with Melt Flow and Thermosolutal Convection-Diffusion

N. Wang, D. Korba, Z. Liu, R Prabhu, M Priddy, S Yang, L Chen, L Li†, (2021) Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 385, 114026

[J11] Mechanobiology of shear-induced platelet aggregation: A multiscale in silico analysis 

         Z. L. Liu, C. K. Aidun, D. N. Ku†, (2021) Journal of Biomechanics, 110349

[J10] Prevalence estimates of COVID-19 by web survey compared to inadequate testing

D. N. Ku†, L. Leong, B. Ku, Z. Liu, (2020) Clinical Cases in Medicine 1(1) (Website, GeorgiaTechNews, PRnews)      

[J9]   Heterogeneous partition of cellular blood-borne nanoparticles through microvascular bifurcations

 Z. Liu, J. R. Clausen, J. Wagner, K. S. Butler, D. S. Bolintineanu, J. B. Lechman, R. R. Rao, and C. K. Aidun†, (2020) Physical Review E, 102 (1), 013310 (Full-text, Editor’s Suggestions)

[J8]   Occlusive thrombosis in arteries

 D. Kim*, C. Bresette*, Z. Liu*, D. N. Ku†,  (2019) APL Bioengineering, 3 (4), 041502 (Featured Article, Newswise, AAAS) (IF: 6.6)

[J7]   Nanoparticle diffusion in sheared cellular blood flow

         Z. Liu, J. R. Clausen, R. R. Rao, C. K. Aidun†, (2019) Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 871, 636-667 (Full-text)

[J6]   A unified analysis of nano-to-microscale particle dispersion in tubular blood flow

         Z. Liu, J. R. Clausen, R. R. Rao, C. K. Aidun† (2019) Physics of Fluids, 31, 081903 (Featured Article, Press)

[J5]   Multiscale method based on coupled LB-LD for direct simulation of nanoscale particle/polymer suspensions in complex flows

Z. Liu, J. R. Clausen, Y. Zhu, J. B. Lechman, R. R. Rao, C. K. Aidun†, (2019) International Journal for Numerical Methods in Fluids, 91:228–246 (Full-text, Cover Article)

[J4]   Numerical simulations of cell flow and trapping within microfluidic channels for stiffness-based cell isolation

         M. Aljaghtham*, Z. Liu*, J. J. Guo, J. He, E. Celik†, (2019) Journal of Biomechanics, 86, 43-49

[J3]   Nanoparticle transport in cellular blood flow

         Z. Liu, Y. Zhu, R. R. Rao, J. R. Clausen, C. K. Aidun†, (2018) Computers & Fluids, 172, 609-620

[J2]   Inhibition of high shear arterial thrombosis by charged nanoparticles

         M. T. Griffin, Y. Zhu, Z. Liu, C. K. Aidun, D. N. Ku†, (2018) Biomicrofluidics 12 (4), 042210

[J1]   Internal viscosity-dependent margination of red blood cells in microfluidic channels

F. Ahmed, M. Mehrabadi, Z. Liu, G.A. Barabino, C.K. Aidun†, (2018) Journal of Biomechanical Engineering 140 (6), 061013

Thesis and Book Chapters

  • Decoding Sickle Cell Hemorheology using Supercomputing and AI 

Rojan Saghian, Rukiye Tuna, Connor Willis, Z. L. Liu, (2026) In Engineering Approaches to Sickle Cell Disease: Innovations, Applications and Future Prospects, pp. 27-45. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2026.

  • Multiscale simulation of molecular and cellular blood flow and clotting: from nano-drug delivery to arterial thrombosis

Z. L. Liu, (2021) Doctoral dissertation, Georgia Institute of Technology


© 2023 Z. Leonardo Liu †  •  All rights reserved  • Last updated on 09/09/2025
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