Flexible Research Group
Director of the Flexible Research Group
Jonathan B. Hopkins
Professor of Mechanical Engineering
Email: hopkins@seas.ucla.edu
Phone: 310-825-8091
Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering, 2010
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
M.S. Mechanical Engineering, 2007
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
B.S. Mechanical Engineering, 2005
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Current Graduate Researchers
Michael Porter
Ph.D. Candidate
M.S. Mechanical Engineering
Georgia Institute of
Technology, Atlanta, GA
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B.S. Mechanical Engineering
University of California,
Berkeley, Berkeley, CA
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Started: September 2015
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Research Topic:
Modeling of optical-tweezers systems
Alexander Tsao
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Ph.D. Candidate
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B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, MA
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Started: May 2023
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Research Topic:
Additive microfabrication and mechanical computation
Siyuan Shao
Ph.D. Candidate
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M.S. Mechanical Engineering
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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B.S. Aerospace Engineering
University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI
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B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China
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Started: July 2023
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Research Topic:
SolidWorks FACT Add-in.
Hiroki Sugisawa
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Visiting Scholar
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Ph.D. Mechanical Engineering
Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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M.S. Mechanical Engineering
Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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B.S. Mechanical Engineering
Kanazawa University, Kanazawa, Japan
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Started: April 2025
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Research Topic:
Generative AI design
Firat Taxpulat
Ph.D. Pre-candidate
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M.S. Computer Science
Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA
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B.S. Applied Mathematics
University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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Started: September 2025
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Research Topic:
Mechanical Neural Networks
Ivan Biggs​
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Ph.D. Candidate
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B.E. Mechanical Engineering
Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN​
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Started: October 2021
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Research Topic:
Microgranular crystal fabrication via optical-tweezer assembly
James Langer Weida
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Ph.D. Candidate
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B.S. Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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Started: June 2023
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Research Topic:
Compliant bedsore prevention mattresses
Leonardo Ruffini
Ph.D. Candidate
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M.S. Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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B.S. Mechanical Engineering
University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA
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Started: October 2024
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Research Topic:
Design and fabrication of compliant medical implants
Pierre Roberjot
Visiting Scholar
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Ph.D. Candidate
TU Delft, Delft, Netherlands
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M.S. Physics of Materials
Adam Mickiewicz University, Poznan, Poland
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M.S. Nanotechnologies
University of Rennes 1, Rennes, France
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M.S. Mechanics and Materials
ECAM Lyon, Lyon, France
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Started: June 2025
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Research Topic:
Classification of multi-stable compliant mechanisms
Current Undergraduate Researchers
Ria Rizo, “Fabrication of Microgranular Crystals using Optical Traps,” Undergraduate student, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 09/25 to Present
Seung (Connor) Lim, “Optical Tweezer Assembly of Microgranular Crystals,” Undergraduate Student, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 02/25 to Present
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Ryan Lee, “Optical Tweezer Assembly of Microgranular Crystals,” Undergraduate Student, University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), 02/25 to Present
Flexible Research Group Alumni
Postdoctoral Researchers and Staff Research Associates
1. Gaurav Singh (Postdoctoral Researcher), 03/14 to 02/15
2. Babak Haghpanah (Staff Research Associate), 02/15 to 04/15
3. Alp Karakoc (Volunteer Postdoctoral Researcher), 04/16 to 08/17
4. James Simonelli (Postdoctoral Researcher), 03/17 to 11/18
5. Lucas A. Shaw (Postdoctoral Researcher), 06/18 to 09/18
6. Yuanping (Adam) Song (Postdoctoral Researcher), 07/18 to 11/18
7. Zhidi Yang (Postdoctoral Researcher), 09/25 to 03/25
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Graduated Ph.D. Students with Theses Published from our Group
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1. Frederick Sun, 01/14 to 12/17
2. Lucas A. Shaw, 07/13 to 05/18
3. Yuanping (Adam) Song, 12/13 to 05/18
4. Samira Chizari, 10/15 to 12/20
5. Ryan H. Lee, 09/18 to 03/23
6. Wenzhong Yan, 09/16 to 06/23
7. Nigel C. Archer, 07/20 to 04/24
8. Zhidi Yang, 04/20 to 10/24
9. Armin W. Pomeroy, 05/20 to 12/24
10. Talmage H. Jones, 10/20 to 03/25
11. Pietro Sainaghi, 10/22 to 06/25
12. Melika Ahmadi, 10/21 to 06/25
13. Amin Farzaneh, 01/19 to 09/25
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M.S. Students and other Ph.D. Students who conducted research in our Group
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1. Amir Behbahani (Volunteer), 10/13 to 12/13
2. Siyu Chen (Volunteer), 01/14 to 06/14
3. Ryan Budiman (Volunteer), 01/14 to 06/14
4. Peter Dohm, 03/15 to 06/16
5. Ali Hatamizadeh, 09/15 to 03/18
6. Talmage Jones, 09/16 to 06/18
7. James Simonelli, 10/16 to 03/17
8. Samuel Shimohara, 08/17 to 03/24
9. Rodolfo Barranco, 10/17 to 06/20
10. Miles Lim, 10/18 to 08/21
11. Pratyush Srivastava (Volunteer), 01/19 to 04/20
12. Collin Shannon (Volunteer), 07/21 to 03/22
13. Jin Jen (Volunteer), 09/22 to 07/23
14. Junlin Chen (Volunteer), 01/23 to 06/24
15. Shuhao Yang (Volunteer), 09/23 to 09/24
16. Atharva Shetye (Volunteer), 01/24 to 06/25
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Visiting Students and Scholars
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1. Arnoud Delissen (Visiting Student from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands), 05/15 to 09/15
2. Erwin Mulder (Visiting Student from University of Twente in the Netherlands), 07/17 to 10/17
3. Reinier Kuppens (Visiting Student from Delft University of Technology in the Netherlands), 09/19 to 01/20
4. Greta Vazzoler (Visiting Student from University of Genova in Italy, 09/23 to 03/24
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Volunteer Undergraduate Researchers
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1. Spencer White, 10/13 to 04/16
2. Conner Sharpe, 10/13 to 06/15
3. Alexander Phinney, 02/14 to 05/14
4. Mitchell Barnes-Wallace, 04/14 to 10/14
5. Chuyang Cai, 06/14 to 07/14
6. Ziran Gu, 06/14 to 08/14
7. Travis Iiyama, 06/14 to 09/14
8. Brian Louie, 06/14 to 09/14
9. Rayshaun Preston (CEED), 10/14 to 12/14
10. Max Vela (CEED), 10/14 to 12/14
11. Eloy Torres (CEED), 10/14 to 12/14
12. Noor Eltawil, 10/14 to 12/14
13. Johannes Henriksson, 01/15 to 05/15
14. Edgar Lopez (CEED), 10/15 to 12/15
15. Sydney Austin (CEED), 10/15 to 12/15, and 06/17 to 06/20
16. Josue Castillo (CEED), 10/15 to 12/15
17. Samuel Carrell (CEED), 10/15 to 12/15
18. Kevin Christensen, 10/15 to 06/16
19. Matthew Turk, 01/16 to 12/16
19. David Parker, 07/16 to 08/16
20. Michael Jedynak, 08/16 to 03/17
21. Matthew Dotson, 03/17 to 05/18
22. Ryan Poon, 06/18 to 06/19
23. Nikhil Pawar, 06/18 to 06/20
24. Christopher Clavelli, 06/19 to 06/20
25. Cole Ten, 02/21 to 09/21
26. Christopher Jawetz, 05/21 to 09/22
27. Brandon Reedel, 07/21 to 01/23
28. Alex Hedrick, 09/21 to 06/22
29. Waseem Shindy, 10/22 to 07/23
30. Sofia Lopez, 01/23 to 02/23
31. Connell McCarley, 04/24 to 10/24
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Summer High School Students
1. Jaselinne Garcia (HSSRP), 06/14 to 08/14
2. Estefania Lahera (HSSRP), 06/14 to 08/14
3. Samir Kamnani (HSSRP), 06/15 to 08/15
4. Daniel Pikula (HSSRP), 06/15 to 08/15
5. Kenneth Tochihara (HSSRP), 06/17 to 08/17
6. Victor Saldana (HSSRP), 06/17 to 08/17
7. Mark Lee, 07/19 to 08/19
8. Artina Tarokh, 06/21 to 08/21