Zaiyi Shen (沈在意), Ph.D.

Assistant Professor
School of Mechanics and Engineering Science
Peking University

Email: zaiyi.shen@pku.edu.cn

Research interests: Intermediate Reynolds Number Flow, Complex Fluids, Blood Flow, Collective Motion, Colloidal Assembly, Biological Locomotion

Short bio: I received my Ph.D. in Physics for the Life Sciences from the Laboratoire Interdisciplinaire de Physique (LiPhy), Université Grenoble Alpes, and later worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the Laboratoire Ondes et Matière d’Aquitaine (LOMA). I joined the School of Mechanics and Engineering Science at Peking University in early 2023. My research centers on fluid dynamics in living systems and other complex microenvironments. Using numerical experiments, we explore how flow, confinement, and interfaces govern the collective dynamics and transport of soft and active matter.

Positions for students and postdocs are available. We're seeking enthusiastic new additions to our team. If you are interested in working with us, please email me.

Publications

[27] Hydrodynamic Switching Fronts Polarize Deformable Particle Trains
L. Huang, H. Zhang, Z. Zhang, Z. Shen
arXiv preprint arXiv:2604.05925 (2026)

[26] Emergent synchronization and defect dynamics in confined chiral active suspensions
Z. Shen, L. Wang, S. Zhang, C. Li, K. Xie, X. Zheng, J. Lintuvuori
Physical Review Research 8, 023045 (2026)

[25] Inertia-driven propulsion of asymmetric spinner-dimers at moderate Reynolds numbers
Z. Shen, D. Fu, J. Lintuvuori
Soft Matter 21 (20), 4021-4028 (2025)

[24] Characterization of Nonequilibrium Interactions of Catalytic Microswimmers Using Phoretically Responsive Nanotracer
C. Carrasco, Q. Martinet, Z. Shen, J. Lintuvuori, J. Palacci, A. Aubret
ACS nano 19 (11), 11133-11145 (2025)

[23] Programming structural and magnetic anisotropy for tailored interaction and control of soft microrobots
Y. Yan, C. Song, Z. Shen, Y. Zhu, X. Ni, B. Wang, M. Christiansen, S. Stavrakis, J. Lintuvuori, B. Chen, A. deMello, S. Schuerle
Communications Engineering 3(1): 7 (2024)

[22] Unsteady drag force on an immersed sphere oscillating near a wall
Z. Zhang, V. Bertin, M. Essink, H. Zhang, N. Fares, Z. Shen, T. Bickel, T. Salez, A. Maali
Journal of Fluid Mechanics 977: A21 (2023)

[21] Collective flow drives cavitation in spinner monolayers
Z. Shen, J. S. Lintuvuori
Physical Review Letters 130 (18), 188202 (2023) (Cover)

[20] Anomalous diffusion of deformable particles in a honeycomb Network
Z. Shen, F. Plouraboué, J. S. Lintuvuori, H. Zhang, M. Abbasi, C. Misbah
Physical Review Letters 130 (1), 014001 (2023) ( Featured in Physics , Physics Today, CNRS INP News )

[19] Reorientation dynamics of microswimmers at fluid-fluid interfaces
H. Gidituri, Z. Shen, A. Würger, J. S. Lintuvuori
Physical Review Fluids 7, L042001 (2022) (Letter)

[18] Two-phase crystallization in a carpet of inertial spinners
Z. Shen, J. S. Lintuvuori
Physical Review Letters 125 (22), 228002 (2020) (Cover)

[17] Hydrodynamic clustering and emergent phase separation of spherical spinners
Z. Shen, J. S. Lintuvuori
Physical Review Research 2 (1), 013358 (2020)

[16] Migration of a red blood cell in a permeable microvessel
Z. Shen, Y. He
Medicine in Novel Technology and Devices, 100023 (2019)

[15] Gravity induced formation of spinners and polar order of spherical microswimmers on a surface
Z. Shen, J. S. Lintuvuori
Physical Review Fluids 4, 123101 (2019) (Editors’ Suggestion)

[14] Shear Stress in the Microvasculature: Influence of Red Blood Cell Morphology and Endothelial Wall Undulation
B. Hogan, Z. Shen, H. Zhang, C. Misbah, A. I. Barakat
Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology 18, 1095-1109 (2019)

[13] Computational Analysis of Nitric Oxide Biotransport in a Microvessel Influenced by Red Blood Cells
Y. Wei, L. Mu, Y. Tang, Z. Shen, Y. He
Microvascular Research 125, 103878 (2019)

[12] Hydrodynamic self-assembly of active colloids: chiral spinners and dynamic crystals
Z. Shen, A. Würger, J. S. Lintuvuori
Soft Matter 15, 1508-1521 (2019)

[11] ATP Release by Red Blood Cells under Flow: Model and Simulations
H. Zhang, Z. Shen, B. Hogan, A. I. Barakat, C. Misbah
Biophysical Journal 115 (11), 2218-2229 (2018) ( CNRS INP News )

[10] Optimal cell transport in straight channels and networks
A. Farutin, Z. Shen, G. Prado, V. Audemar, H. Ez-Zahraouy, A. Benyoussef, B. Polack, J. Harting, P. M. Vlahovska, T. Podgorski, G. Coupier, C. Misbah
Physical Review Fluids 3 (10), 103603 (2018)

[9] Hydrodynamic interaction of a self-propelling particlre with a wall: Comparison between an active Janus particle and a squirmer model
Z. Shen, A. Würger, J. S. Lintuvuori
The European Physical Journal E 41, 39 (2018)

[8] Blood crystal: emergent order of red blood cells under wall-confined shear flow
Z. Shen, T. M. Fischer, A. Farutin, P. M. Vlahovska, J. Harting, C. Misbah
Physical Review Letters 120 (26), 268102 (2018) ( MIT Technology Review: The Best of the Physics arXiv (week ending December 2, 2017), physics.org news )

[7] Interaction and rheology of vesicle suspensions in confined shear flow
Z. Shen, A. Farutin, M. Thiébaud, C. Misbah
Physical Review Fluids 2 (10), 103101 (2017)

[6] Inversion of hematocrit partition at microfluidic bifurcations
Z. Shen, G. Coupier, B. Kaoui, B. Polack, J. Harting, C. Misbah, T. Podgorski
Microvascular Research 105, 40-46 (2016)

[5] Numerical simulation for the motion of deformable particles in the deterministic lateral displacement device using IB-LBM
J. Wei, H. Song, Z. Shen, Y. He, X. Xu, B. Li
Chinese Journal of Hydrodynamics 6, 604-611 (2015)

[4] Numerical Study of Pillar Shapes in Deterministic Lateral Displacement Microfluidic Arrays for Spherical Particle Separation
J. Wei, H. Song, Z. Shen, Y. He, X. Xu, Y. Zhang, B. Li
NanoBioscience, IEEE Transactions on 14(6), 660-667 (2015)

[3] Prediction of Anomalous Blood Viscosity in Confined Shear Flow
M. Thiébaud, Z. Shen, J. Harting, C. Misbah
Physical Review Letters 112 (23), 238304 (2014)

[2] A Lattice Boltzmann Method for Simulating the Separation of Red Blood Cells at Microvascular Bifurcations
Z. Shen, Y. He
Chinese Physics Letters 29 (2), 024703 (2012)

[1] Mathematical Modeling of Glomerular Capillary Network and Renal Control System
Z. Shen, Y. He, R. Hu
SPACE MEDICINE & MEDICAL ENGINEERING 24(3) (2011)