Hello, I am
PATRICIA
YANG
Assistant Professor of Power Mechanical Engineering at National Tsing Hua University.
I study the problems at the intersection of fluid mechanics and biology.
I ask questions like: How do birds fly together in groups? Are there
faster ways to detect blood clots? How do wombats excrete cubes?
RESEARCH
INTERESTS
-
Collective animal behavior
-
Biofluids and medical devices
-
Rheology of biomaterials
-
Locomotion of aquatic animals
For Patricia, bodies are a series of tubes fine-tuned to pump the gory and the gross. She does the dirty work of handling feces-filled wombat intestines, gathering pig’s blood from slaughterhouses and designing makeshift elephant urethras – all for the sake of science. And she can’t get enough of it.
OPEN
POSITIONS
We are looking for lab members at all levels: undergraduate students, graduate students, and postdocs. The research topics are bio-inspired engineering, soft-matter physics, collective behavior of animals, biofluids, and biomechanics. Students in all majors are welcome. If you are interested, please email to Dr. Yang peijyang@pme.nthu.edu.tw for more details.
積極
徵才中
本實驗室積極招募實驗成員中！目前徵求大學部專題生、碩士班、博士班以及博士後研究員，不限科系。無論你在學習的任何階段，都歡迎加入實驗室，增加有趣研究的經驗值，研究主題包含仿生工程、軟物質物理、動物群聚行為、生物流體及生物力學，有興趣的同學歡迎前來參觀討論，或與楊老師聯絡 peijyang@pme.nthu.edu.tw 。
AB
OUT
Patricia Yang is an Assistant Professor of Power Mechanical Engineering. She received bachelor’s degrees in Engineering Science and Ocean Engineering (ESOE) and Physics from National Taiwan University. She studies the fluid mechanics of body fluids, in particular, blood, feces, and urine during her doctoral and postdoctoral studies in Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology. Before coming to National Tsing Hua University, she was a postdoc studying the collective behavior of birds in Civil and Environmental Engineering at Stanford University.
Yang was the recipient of the Sigma Xi Best Thesis award and the Ig Nobel Prize in Physics. Her work has been featured on CNN, the BBC, National Public Radio, National Geographic, and The Times. In addition to conducting research, she teaches fluid mechanics at all levels, from elementary school to college.
AW
ARDS
PUBLI
CATIONS
P. Yang, A. Lee, M. Chan, M. Kowalski, K. Qiu, C. Waid, G. Cervantes, B. Magondu, M. Biagioni, L. Vogelnest, A. Martin, A. Edwards, S. Carver, D. Hu
D. Berendes, P. Yang, A. Lai, D. Hu, J. Brown
P. Yang, M. LaMarca, C. Kaminski, D. Chu, D. Hu
P. Yang, J. Pham, J. Choo, D. Hu
P. Yang, M. LaMarca, V. Karvets, D. Chu, D. Hu
journal articles
conference proceedings
PRESEN
TATIONS
2019
Institute of Research on Non Equilibrium Phenomena (IRPHE)
Centrale Marseille, France
Max Planck Institute of Animal Behavior
University of Konstanz, Germany
Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering
Stanford University
Department of Engineering Science and Ocean Engineering
National Taiwan University, Taiwan
2018
Institute of Applied Mechanics
National Taiwan University, Taiwan
Department of Applied Mathematics
Feng Chia University, Taiwan
Department of Physics
National Chung Hsing University, Taiwan
Department of Polymer Science and Engineering
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Network Science Institute
Northeastern University
Department of Mechanical Engineering
University of Rochester
Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
Syracuse University
Center for the Physics of Biological Function
Princeton University
2017
Department of Physics
Boston University
Annual Technical Meeting of the Society of Engineering Science, Boston
2016
American Association for the Advancement of Science Annual Meeting, Washington D.C.
2014
Institute of Biophysics
National Central University, Taiwan
invited talks
conferences
MEDICINE
MATERIAL SCIENCE
FLUID MECHANICS
BIOLOGY
INTERDISCIPLINARY
BIOLOGY
2021
APS March Meeting
2019
APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting
Fluid and Health Conference
2018
APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting
2017
International Physics of Living Systems Network Meeting
10th Southeast Meeting on Soft Materials
2016
Southeast Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference
Digestive Disease Week
APS March Meeting
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference
2015
APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting
Gordon Research Seminar
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference
2014
APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting
International Physics of Living Systems Network Meeting
Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference
2013
APS Division of Fluid Dynamics Meeting
Southeast Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology Conference
Annual Meeting of Ecological Society of America
RE
SEARCH
biofluids and
medical devices
30–MIN
BLOOD CLOT
TEST
Abnormal blood occludes the blood vessel gradually and it may lead to a stroke or a heart attack.
To prevent the irreversible damage, I am developing a blood test that identifies patients at high risk. I plan to design the test as a point of care test: Nurses can perform the test close to the patient and receive the result in 30 minutes. The project is ongoing, so stay tuned!
publication
The project is ongoing,
so stay tuned!
The
global feces
problem
Human and animal feces pose threats to human health. We currently manage the human waste safely, but what about animal waste?
In our estimation, the total feces was 3.9 billion tons in 2014 and anticipated to 4.6 billion tons in 2030. We highlight the need of safe management of animal feces.
publication
D. Berendes, P. Yang, A. Lai, D. Hu, J. Brown
Hydrodynamics
of
defecation
Mammals with cylindrical feces defecate in 5 to 20 seconds. Do animals excrete with rectal pressure, or do the feces slide out effortlessly?
Mammals use rectal pressure, but mucus in the colon lubricates the defecation process. We also discuss extreme cases such as constipation and diarrhea.
Video credit: New Scientist
collaborators
Publication &
conference presentations
P. Yang, M. LaMarca, C. Kaminski, D. Chu, D. Hu
P. Yang, D. Dao, R. Lehner, D. Hu
P. Yang, D. Dao, R. Lehner, M. Tennenbaum,
A. Fernandez-Nieves, D. Hu
The law
of
urination
How do animals urinate? Is urine driven by bladder pressure or by gravity?
In the study, we discover that gravity drives urination for animals greater than 3 kg, thus the urination time stays consistent, between 10 to 30 seconds, across body sizes. Smaller animals urinate high speed droplets driven by bladder pressure.
Video credit: Animal Wire
collaborator
Publication & conference presentations
P. Yang, J. Pham, J. Choo, D. Hu
P. Yang, J. Pham, J. Choo, D. Hu
J. Pham, P. Yang, J. Choo, D. Hu
The Hydrodynamic of Urination:
rheology of
biomaterials
FORMATION OF
CUBICAL FECES
FROM WOMBATS
Most animals produce cylindrical or pellet feces, but wombats produce cubes. How do wombats create cubes in the intestines?
Wombat intestines have varying stiffness. The material properties of the feces may also play a role in cube formation. Currently we are looking at the properties of the cubical feces.This research might lead to early screening techniques for colon cancer in humans based on the shape of feces. Please stay tuned!
Image credit: Incrediville
Publication & conference presentations
SEGMENTAL
CONTRACTION
OF THE
SMALL INTESTINE
Food transported in the intestines has varying compositions. Do the intestines respond to the variance of the composition?
As the gas composition increases, the frequency of intestinal contractions also increases, which may lead to GI abnormalities.
Photo credit: Arie van 't Riet
Publication and conference presentations
P. Yang, M. LaMarca, V. Karvets, D. Chu, D. Hu
The biomechanical influence of intestinal gas and chyme on small bowel peristalsis
Gastroenterology, 150:4, S904 (2016)
P. Yang, M. LaMarca, V. Kravets, D. Chu, D. Hu
P. Yang, M. LaMarca, V. Kravets, D. Hu
P. Yang, M. LaMarca, V. Kravets, D. Hu
P. Yang, M. LaMarca, V. Kravets, D. Hu
P. Yang, H. Zhou, M. Davies, D. Hu
GRS, 2015
locomotion of
aquatic animals
MORPHOLOGY OF JELLYFISH PROPULSION
Rowing jellyfish swim through ever-changing ocean currents. How do they respond to the flows around them?
We discover that rowing jellyfish contract to offset their sinking, but otherwise ignore any feedback from the background flow.
Publication and conference presentation
P. Yang, M. Lemons, D. Hu
P. Yang, M. Lemons, D. Hu
Southeast SICB, 2016
FLIGHT INITIATION OF FLYING FISH
Flying fish swim underwater and glide in air, but how do they transfer from swimming to gliding? How do they penetrate the air-water surface?