Lihong Lao joined the College of Engineering and Computer Science (ECS) at Syracuse University as an Assistant Professor at the start of the Fall 2024 semester. Dr. Lao received her Ph.D. in Fiber and Polymer Science from Cornell University. Affiliated with both SyracuseCoE and the BioInspired Institute, Dr. Lao leads the Environmental Control Materials (ECM) Lab. During the Spring 2025 semester, she’ll also teach a graduate-level course on polymer materials. Read on for more details about Dr. Lao’s research.
SyracuseCoE: Can you give us a brief overview of your research lab?
Dr. Lao: My lab focuses on understanding the interaction among the human body, buildings and environment, and improving their performance by developing advanced materials and smart systems. We aim to design smart materials for thermal, moisture and air quality management for the human body and the built environment. Particularly, we use biomimetic approaches inspired by nature for the materials design and engineering based on polymers, fibers, textiles, soft materials, smart materials and advanced manufacturing.
The Lab is an interdisciplinary research group within the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and is associated with the Syracuse Center of Excellence in Environmental and Energy Systems (SyracuseCoE) and the BioInspired Institute. Our research spans the fields of chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, system engineering and architecture. Our goal is to contribute both scientific fundamentals and practical technologies to serve some global challenges such as human health, environment, energy and sustainability.
SyracuseCoE: Tell us about your current research — are there any projects you’re working on that you’re especially enthusiastic about?
Dr. Lao: The research topics in our lab include, but are not limited to:
- Design of smart materials (e.g., stimuli-responsive materials, bio-inspired design, 3D printing)
- Personal thermal and moisture management (e.g., smart textiles, surface wettability, thermal regulation, directional liquid transport)
- Smart building and environment control (e.g., thermal regulation, ventilation control, air quality improvement).
I am particularly excited about developing new materials with self-thermoregulation properties and applying them in smart and green buildings towards energy-saving and sustainability.
SyracuseCoE: What do you like about working at 727 E Washington Street?
Dr. Lao: The building is very beautiful and has so many flexible spaces. The indoor thermal condition and air quality are monitored and optimized, making it a comfortable place to work. More importantly, the people are extremely nice, and many faculty members, staff members and students have supported me to quickly adapt to this new environment.
Dr. Lao is currently recruiting graduate and undergraduate students to the ECM Lab. Students with backgrounds in chemistry, chemical engineering, materials science, mechanical engineering, electrical engineering, civil engineering or architecture are encouraged to send their CV to LLao02@syr.edu.