Prof. Xuanhe Zhao

Uncas (1923) and Helen Whitaker Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Head, Soft Active Materials Laboratory (SAMs)
Co-Founder, SanaHeal

Primary DLC

Department of Mechanical Engineering

MIT Room: 1-310D

Areas of Interest and Expertise

Design of Soft Materials That Possess Unprecedented Properties
Large Deformation, Instability, Fracture, Adhesion and Multiple-Field Coupling in Soft Materials
Wearable and Biointegrated Electronics, Soft Robotics and Machine and Antifouling and Water Treatment
Solid Mechanics
Bioinspired Design
Bioinspired Materials

Research Summary

Professor Zhao's research aims to understand the fundamental mechanics and physics of materials and phenomena emerging on the interface between engineering and biological systems and to design new materials and structures capable of extraordinary applications in diverse technologies.

Zhao’s current central research goal is:
(*) to understand and design soft materials with unprecedented properties -- including extremely tough, strong, resilient and stretchable; ultrasensitive to physical fields, chemicals and/or biomolecules; tunable, mutable and/or programmable; containing high concentration of water or other solvents; biocompatible, biodeg

(*) to explore extraordinary functions of new soft materials -- in various technologies including flexible, wearable and bio-integrated electronics, soft robotics and machines, energy harvesting and storage, antifouling, drug delivery, tissue engineering, microfluidics, water treatment.

In order to achieve this goal, Professor Zhao is advancing fundamental knowledge on interfaces between areas including: solid mechanics, soft materials and bioinspired design.

Recent Work

  • Video

    Merging Humans and Machines: Innovation and Translation: Xuanhe Zhao

    January 24, 2025Conference Video Duration: 45:44

    Merging Humans and Machines: Innovation and Translation
    Xuanhe Zhao
    Uncas (1923) and Helen Whitaker Professor, MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering

    Whereas human tissues and organs are mostly soft, wet, and bioactive, machines are commonly hard, dry, and abiotic. Merging humans and machines is of imminent importance in addressing grand societal challenges in health, environment, sustainability, security, education, and happiness in life. However, merging humans and machines is extremely challenging due to their fundamentally contradictory properties. At MIT Zhao Lab, we invent, understand, and facilitate the translation of soft materials and systems to form long-term, robust, non-fibrotic, and high-efficacy interfaces between humans and machines. In this talk, I will discuss three examples of innovation and translation for merging humans and machines:
    - the first fast and tough bioadhesive capable of replacing sutures for hemostasis and wound sealing (paper in Nature 2019, 2024; translation by SanaHeal Inc).
    - the first soft neurovascular robot capable of remotely treating stroke patients (paper in Nature 2018; translation by Magnendo Inc).
    - the first wearable ultrasound capable of imaging diverse human organs over 48 hours (paper in Science 2022; translation by Sonologi Inc).

    05.21.24-Leading-Edge-Webinar-Digital-Health-and-Wellness-Xuanhe-Zhao

    May 21, 2024Conference Video Duration: 25:22
    Leading Edge Webinar: Digital Health and Wellness

    2021-RD-Xuanhe-Zhao

    November 18, 2021Conference Video Duration: 30:28
    Xuanhe Zhao
    Robert N Noyce Career Development Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
    Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
    Head, Soft Active Materials Laboratory (SAMs)
    MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering

    11.5.20-Beijing-Xuanhe-Zhao

    November 5, 2020Conference Video Duration: 24:56

    Xuanhe Zhao
    Robert N Noyce Career Development Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering
    Associate Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering
    Head, Soft Active Materials Laboratory (SAMs)
    MIT Department of Mechanical Engineering

    Merging the Human Body and Machines

    August 21, 2018MIT Faculty Feature Duration: 17:19

    Xuanhe Zhao
    Robert N Noyce Career, Development Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering