Yifei Zhang | Materials Science | Best Academic Researcher Award

Prof. Yifei Zhang | Materials Science | Best Academic Researcher Award

Professor | Hebei University | China

Prof. Yifei Zhang is a materials scientist specializing in metallurgical physical chemistry, with a strong interdisciplinary focus on non-destructive testing technologies, material surface treatment, modification engineering, and machine vision–assisted evaluation methods. Her research advances the understanding of microstructural evolution, surface behavior, and damage mechanisms in advanced metallic and composite materials, bridging fundamental metallurgical principles with applied diagnostics. She has made notable contributions to the study of oxide-film dynamics in additively manufactured titanium alloys, the microstructural and electrochemical responses of heat-treated metal systems, and the adhesion performance of functional coatings under residual stress conditions. Her work extends into intelligent materials characterization, where she integrates acoustic emission analysis, signal decomposition, and deep-learning frameworks to enhance damage-mode identification in complex composites and metal components. Through innovative combinations of variational mode decomposition, convolutional neural networks, and optimized non-destructive evaluation methods, she has improved the precision and reliability of structural integrity assessments. Her professional experience includes extensive involvement in designing and validating advanced diagnostic techniques, contributing to the development of next-generation material performance evaluation tools. She collaborates across disciplines to connect materials processing, mechanical behavior, and sensing technologies, supporting safer, more efficient applications in engineering structures and manufacturing environments. Her scientific output reflects a commitment to integrating experimental research with computational enhancement, contributing significantly to the fields of material surface engineering, structural health monitoring, and intelligent testing systems.

Profile: Scopus

Featured Publications

Zhang, Y., Li, J., Xu, H., & others. (2020). Dynamic evolution of oxide film on selective laser melted Ti-Al-4V alloy. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 849, 156622.

Zhang, Y., Feng, L., Zhang, T., & others. (2021). Heat treatment of additively manufactured Ti-6Al-4V alloy: Microstructure and electrochemical properties. Journal of Alloys and Compounds, 888, 161602.

Zhou, W., Li, D., Su, Y., & Zhang, Y.* (2024). Experimental study on the static strain aging of Q345 steel using complementary in-situ non-destructive testing techniques. International Journal of Steel Structures, 24(3), 591–606.

Zhang, Y., Yao, Y., Li, J., & others. (2025). Effect of residual stress on adhesion behaviour of TiN coating. Bulletin of Materials Science, 48, 72.

Zhang, Y., Ge, X., Su, Y., & others. (2025). Damage mode identification in 2D triaxial carbon fiber braided composites via acoustic emission segmentation and variational mode decomposition optimization. Polymer Composites, 1–16.

Theodoros Karakasidis | Materials Science | Best Academic Researcher Award

Prof. Theodoros Karakasidis | Materials Science | Best Academic Researcher Award

Professor at University of Thessaly, Greece

Prof. Theodoros Karakasidis is a Professor of Applied Physics at the Department of Physics, University of Thessaly, Lamia, Greece. He serves as the Director of the Condensed Matter Physics Laboratory and the Graduate Program in “Applied Physics”. He holds a BSc in Physics from Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (1989), an MSc and PhD in Physics from University Pierre et Marie Curie (Paris 6), and a Master’s in Education from the Hellenic Open University.

Profile:

🎓 Education:

  • BSc in Physics, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki 🇬🇷 (1989, GPA 9.51/10)

  • MSc & PhD in Physics, University Pierre et Marie Curie – Paris VI 🇫🇷

  • Master’s in Education, Hellenic Open University (2009)

🧪 Research Interests:

  • Computational Materials Science & Nanotechnology 🧬

  • Machine Learning & Complex Systems 🔁

  • Physics Education & ICT in Teaching 🎓

  • Nonlinear Dynamics & Time Series Analysis ⏳

🎓 Academic Roles:

  • Professor of Applied Physics, Univ. of Thessaly

  • Director, Condensed Matter Physics Lab 🔬

  • Director, MSc Program “Applied Physics” 📘

  • Chairman, Dept. of Physics (2022–present)

  • Past Deputy Chair, Dept. of Civil Engineering

📚 Teaching & Supervision:

  • 25+ years teaching undergraduate & graduate courses

  • Supervisor of 20+ MSc, 8+ PhD, and 2 postdoctoral researchers

  • Courses include Electromagnetism, Condensed Matter Physics, and Computational Science

🔬 Projects & Research Leadership:

  • Principal Investigator in national and EU-funded projects (EUROFUSION, HFRI, Horizon)

  • Key focus: digital materials design, particle-based modeling, smart water purification, and magnetic nanofluidics

🌐 International Collaborations:

  • Collaborations with Strathclyde (UK), NTNU (Norway), Nazarbayev University (Kazakhstan), ICAMS (Germany)

  • Erasmus+, COST Actions, Marie Curie Evaluator

📖 Editorial & Peer Review:

  • Reviewer for top journals: Phys. Rev. E, Scientific Reports, Nanotechnology, MRS Comm.

  • Guest Editor: Desalination and Water Treatment, Computational Materials Science, Environmental Processes

🧾 Distinctions:

  • Top-cited and featured articles in journals like Journal of Theoretical Biology

  • Best Paper & Young Researcher Award at ICDDNBEA 2021 🏆

  • Popular science book author: “Roulis the Science Cat” 🐱📘

💻 Technical Expertise:

  • Expert in FORTRAN, C, Python, Parallel Computing (MPI), MATLAB

  • Skilled in academic platforms (Blackboard, Moodle, E-Class)

📣 Memberships & Outreach:

  • Member of APS, EPS, MRS, IEEE, American Nano Society

  • Promoter of science in schools and public outreach events 🎤

  • Organized student teams for science competitions (e.g., FameLab)

Citation Metrics (Google Scholar):

  • Total Citations: 3,498

  • Citations since 2020: 1,707

  • h-index: 33

  • h-index since 2020: 22

  • i10-index: 76

  • i10-index since 2020: 48

Publication Top Notes:

  1. Use of fuzzy clustering technique and matrices to classify amino acids and its impact to Chou’s pseudo amino acid composition
    D.N. Georgiou, T.E. Karakasidis, J.J. Nieto, A. Torres
    Journal of Theoretical Biology, 257(1), 17–26 (2009). [Cited by: 229]

  2. Transport properties of liquid argon in krypton nanochannels: anisotropy and non-homogeneity introduced by the solid walls
    F. Sofos, T. Karakasidis, A. Liakopoulos
    International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 52(3–4), 735–743 (2009). [Cited by: 157]

  3. Artificial intelligence in physical sciences: Symbolic regression trends and perspectives
    D. Angelis, F. Sofos, T.E. Karakasidis
    Archives of Computational Methods in Engineering, 30(6), 3845–3865 (2023). [Cited by: 156]

  4. Multiscale modeling in nanomaterials science
    T.E. Karakasidis, C.A. Charitidis
    Materials Science and Engineering: C, 27(5–8), 1082–1089 (2007). [Cited by: 138]

  5. Effects of wall roughness on flow in nanochannels
    F.D. Sofos, T.E. Karakasidis, A. Liakopoulos
    Physical Review E, 79(2), 026305 (2009). [Cited by: 127]

  6. Heavy Metal Adsorption Using Magnetic Nanoparticles for Water Purification: A Critical Review
    C. Liosis, A. Papadopoulou, E. Karvelas, T.E. Karakasidis, I.E. Sarris
    Materials, 14(24), 7500 (2021). [Cited by: 99]

  7. The application of complex network time series analysis in turbulent heated jets
    A.K. Charakopoulos, T.E. Karakasidis, P.N. Papanicolaou, A. Liakopoulos
    Chaos: An Interdisciplinary Journal of Nonlinear Science, 24(2), 024408 (2014). [Cited by: 99]

  8. Surface wettability effects on flow in rough wall nanochannels
    F. Sofos, T.E. Karakasidis, A. Liakopoulos
    Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, 12, 25–31 (2012). [Cited by: 78]

  9. Effect of wall roughness on shear viscosity and diffusion in nanochannels
    F. Sofos, T.E. Karakasidis, A. Liakopoulos
    International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 53(19–20), 3839–3846 (2010). [Cited by: 78]

  10. Grain-boundary diffusion of cation vacancies in nickel oxide: a molecular-dynamics study
    T. Karakasidis, M. Meyer
    Physical Review B, 55(20), 13853 (1997). [Cited by: 75]

  11. A comment on a rigid-ion potential for UO₂
    T. Karakasidis, P.J.D. Lindan
    Journal of Physics: Condensed Matter, 6(15), 2965 (1994). [Cited by: 68]

  12. On the magnetic aggregation of Fe₃O₄ nanoparticles
    E.G. Karvelas, N.K. Lampropoulos, L.T. Benos, T. Karakasidis, I.E. Sarris
    Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, 198, 105778 (2021). [Cited by: 65]

  13. Friction factor in nanochannel flows
    A. Liakopoulos, F. Sofos, T.E. Karakasidis
    Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, 20, 1–7 (2016). [Cited by: 64]

  14. A short survey on genetic sequences, Chou’s pseudo amino acid composition and its combination with fuzzy set theory
    D.N. Georgiou, T.E. Karakasidis, A.C. Megaritis
    The Open Bioinformatics Journal, 7(1) (2013). [Cited by: 62]

  15. Unified description of size effects of transport properties of liquids flowing in nanochannels
    A.E. Giannakopoulos, F. Sofos, T.E. Karakasidis, A. Liakopoulos
    International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer (2012). [Cited by: 60]

  16. Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics investigation of parameters affecting planar nanochannel flows
    F. Sofos, T.E. Karakasidis, A. Liakopoulos
    Journal of Contemporary Engineering Science, 2, 283–298 (2009). [Cited by: 59]

  17. Micromixing efficiency of particles in heavy metal removal processes under various inlet conditions
    E. Karvelas, C. Liosis, L. Benos, T. Karakasidis, I. Sarris
    Water, 11(6), 1135 (2019). [Cited by: 55]

  18. Current trends in fluid research in the era of artificial intelligence: A review
    F. Sofos, C. Stavrogiannis, K.K. Exarchou-Kouveli, D. Akabua, G. Charilas, …
    Fluids, 7(3), 116 (2022). [Cited by: 51]

  19. Dissipative particle dynamics investigation of parameters affecting planar nanochannel flows
    D. Kasiteropoulou, T.E. Karakasidis, A. Liakopoulos
    Materials Science and Engineering: B, 176(19), 1574–1579 (2011). [Cited by: 50]

  20. On perturbations of the Mandelbrot map
    J. Argyris, I. Andreadis, T.E. Karakasidis
    Chaos, Solitons & Fractals, 11(7), 1131–1136 (2000). [Cited by: 50]