Yuqing Zhou

Bio

I am a research scientist in Electronics Research Department at Toyota Research Institute of North America. My research focuses on exploring innovative geometries through simulation-based structural optimization to achieve high-performance and manufacturable engineering designs.

Previously, I spent a wonderful year in Tokyo, Japan working on photonic chip design with Toyota Central R&D Labs and Toyota Frontier Research Center. I earned my Ph.D. from the Department of Mechanical Engineering at University of Michigan, under the guidance of Prof. Kazuhiro Saitou.

In my free time, I like messing around with camera gears and cheering for the maize and blue. I've been playing NBA Live/2K since early 2000s, and to this day, it's still the only video game I play.

Research

My work lies at the intersection of design optimization, multiphysics simulation, and advanced fabrication. I formulate structural design problems as PDE-constrained optimization, where at least one constraint is expressed through a partial differential equation governing the physics equilibrium. I've enjoyed using PDEs to model elastic deformation, fluid flow, heat transfer, electrochemical reaction, and electromagnetic wave propagation across different projects. I also incorporate process-specific fabrication constraints to ensure that the optimized designs are manufacturable.

• Quantum photonic integrated circuits NEW!
• Optical metalens NEW!
• Lightweight composite structures made by tailored fiber placement
• Flow field plates for hydrogen fuel cells

Selected Publications

More papers and patents...

• 
  2025 Prototyping a CFRP-aluminum automotive frame via multi-component anisotropic topology optimization
  Tsuyoshi Nomura, Yuqing Zhou, Masaaki Tanaka, Hiroki Kobayashi, Changyoung Yuhn, Atsushi Kawamoto, Yoshihiro Iwano
  Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization [paper] [video]
• 
  2025 Inverse design and porous metal printing of GDL-integrated flow field plates for high-temperature hydrogen fuel cells
  Yuqing Zhou, Danny J Lohan, Utsav R Aryal, Gaohua Zhu, Ercan M Dede
  International Journal of Hydrogen Energy [paper]
• 
  2024 Multi-level partition of unity on differentiable moving particles
  Jinjin He, Taiyuan Zhang, Hiroki Kobayashi, Atsushi Kawamoto, Yuqing Zhou, Tsuyoshi Nomura, Bo Zhu
  ACM Transactions on Graphics [paper] [video]
• 
  2022 Inverse design of microreactor flow fields through anisotropic porous media optimization and dehomogenization
  Yuqing Zhou, Danny J Lohan, Feng Zhou, Tsuyoshi Nomura, Ercan M Dede
  Chemical Engineering Journal [paper] [video] [story]
• 
  2021 Anisotropic multicomponent topology optimization for additive manufacturing with build orientation design and stress-constrained interfaces
  Yuqing Zhou, Tsuyoshi Nomura, Kazuhiro Saitou
  ASME Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering [paper] [video]
• 
  2020 Topology optimization of manifold microchannel heat sinks
  Yuqing Zhou, Tsuyoshi Nomura, Ercan M Dede
  19th IEEE Intersociety Conference on Thermal and Thermomechanical Phenomena in Electronic Systems (ITherm) [paper]
• 
  2018 Multi-component topology and material orientation design of composite structures (MTO-C)
  Yuqing Zhou, Tsuyoshi Nomura, Kazuhiro Saitou
  Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering [paper]

Zhou, Y. (2018). Gradient-Based Multi-Component Topology Optimization for Manufacturability. PhD Thesis, University of Michigan. (Committee members: Kazuhiro Saitou, Gregory Hulbert, Sridhar Kota, Joaquim Martins) [thesis]

Services and Teaching

• Reviewer for structural optimization journals, including Computer Methods in Applied Mechanics and Engineering, International Journal for Numerical Methods in Engineering, Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization, Journal of Mechanical Design, Engineering Optimization, Engineering Structures, Composites Part B: Engineering, etc.
• Session organizer, Design of Engineering Materials and Structures, Design Automation Conference (DAC), IDETC, 2021-2024
• Grad School 101 Panel on industry and entrepreneurial positions, Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Michigan, 2022
• Panelist, Design Optimization in Practice, 14th World Congress of Structural and Multidisciplinary Optimization (WCSMO), 2021
• Guest Lecturer, ME558: Discrete Design Optimization (2017), ME452: Design for Manufacturability (2018), University of Michigan
• Graduate Student Instructor, ME250: Design and Manufacturing I, University of Michigan, 2013, 2016-2018