Tingyi “Leo” Liu
Associate Professor
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Department

Office: S417 Life Science Laboratories
Tel(office): (413) 577-0927
Email: leoliu at umass dot edu

POSITIONS

2024-., Associate Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE) Department, UMass Amherst
2018-2023, Assistant Professor, Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (MIE) Department, UMass Amherst

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION

2015   Postdoc    California NanoSystems Institute (CNSI) at UCLA
2014   Ph.D.         University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Mechanical Engineering
2011   M.S.           University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Mechanical Engineering
2009   B.E.            Zhejiang University, Electrical Engineering (2009, with honors)

PUBLICATIONS – Journals 

(*Authors contributed equally, students / postdoctoral fellows)
  1. Q. Sun and T. Liu, “Enabling Robust Soft Molds for Scalable Fabrication of Overhanging Polymeric Structures,” Langmuir, vol. 41, no. 19, pp. 11935–11941, May 2025, doi: 10.1021/acs.langmuir.5c00307.
  2. K. Sumaria and T. Liu, “A Subtractive Chemical Method to Pattern Liquid Metal Wirings for Soft and Stretchable Circuits,” Advanced Materials Technologies, vol. n/a, no. n/a, p. 2401200, doi: 10.1002/admt.202401200.
  3. J. Cheng and T. Liu, “Heterogeneous Integration of SU-8 and Highly Entangled Polyacrylamide Hydrogel to Realize Cut-Resistant Soft Superhydrophobic Surfaces,” Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering, vol. 34, no. 10, p. 105007, Sep. 2024, doi: 10.1088/1361-6439/ad76b6.
  4. S. Huang, R. Xiao, S. Lin, G. Jang, E. Hong, S. Gupta, F. Lu, B. Chen, X. Liu, A. Sahasrabudhe, Z. Zhang, Z. He, A. Crosby, K. Sumaria, T. Liu, Q. Wang, S. Rao, “Anisotropic Hydrogel Microelectrodes for Intraspinal Neural Recordings in vivo,” Nature Communication, vol. 16, no. 1127, Jan. 2025, doi: 10.1038/s41467-025-56450-4
  5. B. Wang, X. Wen, Y. Cao, S. Huang, H. A. Lam, T. Liu, P.-S. Chung, H. G. Monbouquette, P.-Y. Chiou and N. T. Maidment, “An implantable multifunctional neural microprobe for simultaneous multi-analyte sensing and chemical delivery,” Lab Chip, vol. 20, no. 8, pp. 1390–1397, Apr. 2020, doi: 10.1039/D0LC00021C.
  6. Y. Shen*, T. Liu*, J. Chen*, X. Li, L. Liu, J. Shen, J. Wang, R. Zhang, M. Sun, Z. Wang, W. Song, T. Qi, Y. Tang, X. Meng, L. Zhang, D. Ho, C.-M. Ho, X. Ding, and H. Lu, “Harnessing Artificial Intelligence to Optimize Long-Term Maintenance Dosing for Antiretroviral-Naive Adults with HIV-1 Infection,” Advanced Therapeutics, vol. n/a, no. n/a, p. 1900114, Nov. 2019.
  7. Man, X. Zhu, Y. T. Chow, E. R. Dawson, X. Wen, A. N. Patananan, T. Liu, C. Zhao, C. Wu, J. S. Hong, P.-S. Chung, D. L. Clemens, B.-Y. Lee, P. S. Weiss, M. A. Teitell, P.-Y. Chiou, “Intracellular Photothermal Delivery for Suspension Cells Using Sharp Nanoscale Tips in Microwells,” ACS Nano, Sep. 2019.
  8. J. Li, N. S. Ha, T. Liu, R. M. van Dam, and C.-J. Kim, “Ionic-surfactant-mediated electro-dewetting for digital microfluidics,” Nature, vol. 572, no. 7770, pp. 507–510, Aug. 2019.
  9. X. Wen, B. Wang, S. Huang, T. Liu, M.-S. Lee, P.-S. Chung, Y. T. Chow, I-W. Huang, H. G. Monbouquette, N. T. Maidment, and P.-Y. Chiou, “Flexible, multifunctional neural probe with liquid metal enabled, ultra-large tunable stiffness for deep-brain chemical sensing and agent delivery”, Biosensors and Bioelectronics, vol. 131, pp. 37–45, Apr. 2019.
  10. T. Chow, T. Man, G. Acosta, X. Zhu, X. Wen, P.-S. Chung, T. Liu, B. Wu, and P.-Y. Chiou, “Liquid metal-based multifunctional micropipette for 4D single cell manipulation”, Advanced Science, vol. 5, no. 7, p. 1700711, May 2018.
  11. T. Liu, and C.-J. Kim, “Contact angle measurement of small capillary length liquid in super-repelled state,” Scientific Reports, vol. 7, no. 1, p. 740, Apr. 2017.
  12. T. Liu, Z. Chen, and C.-J. Kim, “A dynamic Cassie-Baxter model, ” Soft Matter, Vol. 11, Iss. 8, Feb. 2015, pp. 1589–1596.
  13. T. Liu and C.-J. Kim, “Turning a surface superrepellent even to completely wetting liquids,” Science, Vol. 346, Iss. 6213, Nov. 2014, pp. 1096-1100.
  14. G. Sun, T. Liu, P. Sen, W. Shen, C. Gudeman and C.-J. Kim, “Electrostatic Side-Drive Rotary Stage on Liquid-Ring Bearing,” Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems. Vol. 23, Iss.1, Feb. 2014, pp. 147-156.
  15. T. Liu, P. Sen, and C.-J. Kim, “Characterization of Nontoxic Liquid-Metal Alloy Galinstan® for Applications in Micro Devices,” Journal of Microelectromechanical Systems, Vol. 21, Iss. 2, April 2012, pp. 443-450.

PUBLICATIONS – Conference Proceedings 

(*Authors contributed equally, students / postdoctoral fellows)
  1. K. Sumaria and T. Liu, “Rapid Prototyping of Liquid Metal-Based Stretchable Electronics,” TRANSDUCERS’25, Orlando, Florida, USA, Jun. 2025, pp. 1121-1124.
  2. Q. Sun and T. Liu, “Creating Doubly Re-entrant Structures with Any Thermosetting Polymer,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. MEMS, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Jan. 2025, pp. 659-662.
  3. K. Sumaria and T. Liu, “A Physical Sacrificial Layer for Quick Release of Stretchable Electronic Devices,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. MEMS, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, Jan. 2025, pp. 1233-1236.
  4. Q. Sun, T. Liu, “Transferring Soft Doubly Re-entrant Microstructures for Mechanically Resilient Omniphobic Surfaces,” Proceeding of Solid-State Sensors, Actuators, and Microsystems Workshop (Hilton Head’24), Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA, Jun. 2024, pp. 275-277. (Best paper finalist)
  5. J. Cheng and T. Liu, “Enabling Cut-Resistant Superhydrophobic Surfaces Using a Highly Entangled Soft Polymeric Substrate,” Proceeding of Solid-State Sensors, Actuators, and Microsystems Workshop (Hilton Head’24), Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA, Jun. 2024, pp. 247-250.
  6. Q. Sun and T. Liu, “Engineering 3D Hierarchical Structures with Bio-mimetic Solid Fraction Gradient,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. MEMS, Austin, USA, Jan. 2024, pp 658-660.
  7. K. Sumaria, H. Geng, and T. Liu, “Chronic Dielectric Performance of Parylene-modified Polydimethylsiloxane for Insulating Stretchable Electronics”, Proc. IEEE SENSORS 2023, Vienna, Austria, Oct. 2023.
  8. J. Cheng and T. Liu, “Controllable Static Breath-Figure Processes to Form Ordered 3-D Microstructures on Polydimethylsiloxane without Lithography and Molding,” Proceeding of Solid-State Sensors, Actuators, and Microsystems Workshop (Hilton Head’22), Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, USA, Jun. 2022, pp. 242–245.
  9. Q. Sun and T. Liu, “Deformable Superoleophobic Surfaces with High Mechanical Resilience,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. MEMS, Online, Jan. 2021, pp. 71-74.
  10. K. Sumaria and T. Liu, “Massively Parallel Liquid Metal Wiring for Soft Electronics and Robotics,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. MEMS, Vancouver, Canada, Jan. 2020, pp. 24-27.
  11. Zhu, T. Man, T. Nguyen, M. Haw, T. Liu, X. Wen, M. A. Teitell, P.-Y. Chiou, “Parallel Nanomechanical Indentation Platform Using Quantitative Phase Imaging”, Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on Optical MEMS and Nanophotonics (OMN), Lausanne, Switzerland, Jul. 2018.
  12. T. Man, X. Zhu, Y. T. Chow, T. Liu, X. Wen, M. A. Teitell, P.-Y. Chiou, “Photothermal Intracellular Delivery with Self-Aligned Cell Seeding,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on Optical MEMS and Nanophotonics (OMN), Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, Aug. 2017.
  13. T. Liu, X. Wen, Y.-C. Kung, and P. Y. Chiou, “Fabrication Strategy For Micro Soft Robotics With Semiconductor Devices Integration,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. MEMS, Las Vegas, USA, Jan. 2017, pp. 663-666.
  14. X. Wen, T. Liu, and P.-Y. Chiou, “A Hybrid Silicon-PDMS Multifunctional Neural Probe,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. on Optical MEMS and Nanophotonics (OMN), Singapore, Jul. 2016.
  15. T. Liu and C.-J. Kim, “Structure-Based Superhydrophobicity for Serum Droplets,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. MEMS, Estoril, Portugal, Jan. 2015, pp. 6-7.
  16. T. Liu and C.-J. Kim, “Doubly Re-entrant Cavities to Sustain Boiling Nucleation In FC-72,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. MEMS, Estoril, Portugal, Jan. 2015, pp. 1122-1124.
  17. T. Liu and C.-J. Kim, “Microstructured SiO2 Surface Repellant to Liquids without Coating,” Proc. Int. Conf. Solid State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers’13), Barcelona, Spain, June 2013, pp. 1609-1612.
  18. T. Liu, G. Sun, J. J. Kim, C.-K. K. Yang, and C.-J. Kim, “Electrostatic Bottom-Driven Rotary Stage on Multiple Conductive Liquid-Ring Bearings,” Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. MEMS, Taipei, Taiwan, Jan. 2013, pp. 86-89.
  19. G. Sun, T. Liu, P. Sen, W. Shen, C. Gudeman, and C.-J. Kim, “Electrostatically Driven Rotor on Conductive Liquid Ring Bearings,” Technical Digest, Solid-State Sensor, Actuator and Microsystems Workshop, Hilton Head Island, SC, June 2012, pp. 78-81.
  20. T. Liu, P. Sen, and C.-J. Kim, “Characterization of Liquid-Metal Galinstan® for Droplet Applications”, Proc. IEEE Int. Conf. MEMS, Hong Kong, China, Jan. 2010, pp. 560-563.

PUBLICATIONS – Patent 

(students / postdoctoral fellows)
  1. T. Liu and K. Sumaria, “Physical Sacrificial Layers Technology for Rapid Prototyping of Soft Electronic Systems” US No. 19/411,496 (pending), 12/08/2025
  2. T. Liu and Q. Sun, “Hierarchical wavy structured surfaces and method of making thereof,” US No. 19/033,546 (pending), 1/22/2025
  3. T. Liu and K. Sumaria, “Stretchable dielectric with ion diffusion barriers,” US Serial 18/584,486 (pending), 2/22/2024
  4. C.-J. Kim and T. Liu, “Liquid-repellent surfaces made of any materials,” International Application PCT/US2014/57797, US Serial No. 15/023,621, WO 2015048504, US Patent No. 10,391,530 B2 (Aug. 27, 2019).
Skip to toolbar