Publications – MISSION LAB

2026 ▼

Free-form thermal cloaks in three dimensions

Weichen Li, Yibo Wang, Ole Sigmund, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Nature Communications, 2026

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Topology optimization of programmable and fabricable thermo-active liquid crystal elastomer with continuous director orientations

Yibo Wang, Weichen Li, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Extreme Mechanics Letters, 2026

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Dual-programmable architected magnetic soft materials: tuning mechano-electric responses by inverse design

Zhi Zhao, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Advanced Functional Materials, 2026

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The nonlinear elastic response of magnetorheological elastomers

Chao Wang, Yingqi Jia, Arvin Ardebili Sharma, Zhi Zhao, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Extreme Mechanics Letters, 2025

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Multimaterial topology optimization for finite strain elastoplasticity: theory, methods, and applications

Yingqi Jia, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 2026

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Topology optimization-guided metal integration in fiber-reinforced polymer composites for enhanced resilience and reparability in structural connections

Joshua Simpson-Gomez, Rahul Dev Kundu, Weichen Li, Peter Stynoski, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 2026

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Lattice materials with topological states optimized on demand

Pegah Azizi, Rahul Dev Kundu, Weichen Li, Kai Sun, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang, Stefano Gonella

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2026

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Toward Engineering AGI: Benchmarking the Engineering Design Capabilities of LLMs

Xingang Guo, Yaxin Li, Xiangyi Kong, Yilan Jiang, Xiayu Zhao, Zhihua Gong, Yufan Zhang, Daixuan Li, Tianle Sang, Beixiao Zhu, Gregory Jun, Yingbing Huang, Yiqi Liu, Yuqi Xue, Rahul Dev Kundu, Qi Jian Lim, Yizhou Zhao, Luke Alexander Granger, Mohamed Badr Younis, Darioush Keivan, Nippun Sabharwal, Shreyanka Sinha, Prakhar Agarwal, Kojo Vandyck, Hanlin Mai, Zichen Wang, Aditya Venkatesh, Ayush Barik, Jiankun Yang, Chongying Yue, Jingjie He, Libin Wang, Licheng Xu, Hao Chen, Jinwen Wang, Liujun Xu, Rushabh Shetty, Ziheng Guo, Dahui Song, Manvi Jha, Weijie Liang, Weiman Yan, Bryan Zhang, Sahil Bhandary Karnoor, Jialiang Zhang, Rutva Pandya, Xinyi Gong, Mithesh Ballae Ganesh, Feize Shi, Ruiling Xu, Yifan Zhang, Yanfeng Ouyang, Lianhui Qin, Elyse Rosenbaum, Corey Snyder, Peter Seiler, Geir Dullerud, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang, Zuofu Cheng, Pavan Kumar Hanumolu, Jian Huang, Mayank Kulkarni, Mahdi Namazifar, Huan Zhang, Bin Hu

Advances in Neural Information Processing Systems, 2026

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2025 ▼

Extreme nonlinearity by layered materials through inverse design

Zhi Zhao†, Rahul Dev Kundu†, Ole Sigmund, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Science Advances, 2025

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Stress-constrained versus fracture-based topology optimization: A comparative study

Yingqi Jia, Rahul Dev Kundu, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 2025

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Multimaterial topology optimization of elastoplastic composite structures

Yingqi Jia, Weichen Li, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 2025

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Direct ink writing of magnetic soft materials with optimized printing path

Chao Wang, Zhi Zhao, Zeyu Li, Yingqi Jia, Arvin Ardebili Sharma, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Additive Manufacturing, 2025

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Sustainability-oriented multimaterial topology optimization: designing efficient structures incorporating environmental effects

Rahul Dev Kundu, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 2025

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2024 ▼

Wireless Magnetic Robot for Precise Hierarchical Control of Tissue Deformation

Chao Wang, Zhi Zhao, Joonsu Han, Arvin Ardebili Sharma, Hua Wang, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Advanced Science, 2024

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Analytical realization of complex thermal meta-devices

Weichen Li, Ole Sigmund, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Nature Communications, 2024

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Computational morphogenesis for liquid crystal elastomer metamaterial

Weichen Li, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

npj Computational Materials, 2024

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FEniTop: a simple FEniCSx implementation for 2D and 3D topology optimization supporting parallel computing

Yingqi Jia, Chao Wang, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 2024

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Unstructured growth of irregular architectures for optimized metastructures

Yingqi Jia, Ke Liu, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 2024

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Topology optimization of irregular multiscale structures with tunable responses using a virtual growth rule

Yingqi Jia, Ke Liu, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 2024

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Modulate stress distribution with bio-inspired irregular architected materials towards optimal tissue support

Yingqi Jia, Ke Liu, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Nature Communications, 2024

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Multiphysics topology optimization of magnetic materials with continuous magnetization orientations

Zhi Zhao, Chao Wang, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Mechanics of Materials, 2024

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2023 ▼

Encoding reprogrammable properties into magneto-mechanical materials via topology optimization

Zhi Zhao, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

npj Computational Materials, 2023

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Inverse design of magneto-active metasurfaces and robots: Theory, computation, and experimental validation

Chao Wang, Zhi Zhao, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 2023

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Arbitrary curvature programming of thermo-active liquid crystal elastomer via topology optimization

Weichen Li, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, 2023

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Algorithmic encoding of adaptive responses in temperature-sensing multimaterial architectures

Weichen Li, Yue Wang, Tian Chen, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Science Advances, 2023

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Programming and physical realization of extreme three-dimensional responses of metastructures under large deformations

Weichen Li, Yingqi Jia, Fengwen Wang, Ole Sigmund, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

International Journal of Engineering Science, 2024

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Controlling the fracture response of structures via topology optimization: From delaying fracture nucleation to maximizing toughness

Yingqi Jia, Oscar Lopez-Pamies, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 2023

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Additive manufacturing of stiff and strong structures by leveraging printing-induced strength anisotropy in topology optimization

Rahul Dev Kundu, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Additive Manufacturing, 2023

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Tuning buckling behaviors in magnetically active structures: Topology optimization and experimental validation

Zhi Zhao, Chao Wang, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Journal of Applied Mechanics, 2023

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Stress-based topology optimization for fiber composites with improved stiffness and strength: Integrating anisotropic and isotropic materials

Rahul Dev Kundu, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Composite Structures, 2023

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2022 ▼

Multimaterial stress-constrained topology optimization with multiple distinct yield criteria

Rahul Dev Kundu, Weichen Li, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Extreme Mechanics Letters, 2022

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Topology optimization of hard-magnetic soft materials

Zhi Zhao, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 2022

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Digital synthesis of free-form multimaterial structures for realization of arbitrary programmed mechanical responses

Weichen Li, Fengwen Wang, Ole Sigmund, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2022

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2021 ▼

Design of graded porous bone-like structures via a multi-material topology optimization approach

Zhi Zhao, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 2021

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Momentum-based accelerated mirror descent stochastic approximation for robust topology optimization under stochastic loads

Weichen Li, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, 2021

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Design of composite structures with programmable elastic responses under finite deformations

Weichen Li, Fengwen Wang, Ole Sigmund, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids, 2021

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Additive manufacturing of topology-optimized graded porous structures: An experimental study

Zhi Zhao, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

JOM, 2021

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A comprehensive review of educational articles on structural and multidisciplinary optimization

Chao Wang, Zhi Zhao, Ming Zhou, Ole Sigmund, Xiaojia Shelly Zhang

Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, 2021

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Paved guideway topology optimization for pedestrian traffic under Nash equilibrium

X. S. Zhang, W. Li, and Y. Ouyang

Journal of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization

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Topology optimization of fiber-reinforced hyperelastic structures under large deformations

X. S. Zhang, H. Chi, and Z. Zhao

Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering

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2020 ▼

Efficient multi-material continuum topology optimization considering hyperelasticity: achieving local feature control through regional constraints

X. S. Zhang and H. Chi

Mechanics Research Communications

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Topology optimization with many right-hand sides using mirror descent stochastic approximation—reduction from many to a single sample

X. S. Zhang, E. de Sturler, and A. Shapiro

Journal of Applied Mechanics

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Adaptive multi-material topology optimization with hyperelastic materials under large deformations: A virtual element approach

X. S. Zhang, H. Chi, and G. H. Paulino

Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering

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2018 ▼

Closure to Macroelement and Macropatch Approaches for Structural Topology Optimization using a Ground Structure Method

X. S. Zhang, S. Maheshwari, A. Ramos Jr., and G. H. Paulino

ASCE Journal of Structural Engineering

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Multi-material topology optimization with multiple volume constraints: Combining the ZPR update with a ground structure algorithm to select a single material per overlapping set

X. S. Zhang, G. H. Paulino, and A. S. Ramos Jr.

International Journal of Numerical Methods in Engineering

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