Principal Investigator
Dariush M. Heiranian
Dr. Dariush M. Heiranian (formerly known as Dr. Mohammad Heiranian) is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at North Carolina State University (NC State). He obtained his B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Manitoba, and his M.S. and Ph.D. in Theoretical and Applied Mechanics from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Prior to joining as a faculty member at NC State, he was a postdoctoral associate in the Department of Chemical and Environmental Engineering at Yale University. His expertise is in using the fundamentals of physics in conjunction with large-scale computer calculations to predict physical, chemical, and material properties of systems across different scales from quantum to continuum. His research has focused on developing nanofluidic theories for flow in nanopores by revisiting classical theories of fluid mechanics. His research has led to the discovery of novel materials and design features for water desalination, clean power generation, single-biomolecule detection, and disease diagnosis. Recently, his research has focused on understanding ion-selective transport in nanopores to guide the design and development of highly-selective membrane materials for water and energy applications.
PhD Students
Sourav Saha
Sourav Saha earned his BSc in Mechanical Engineering from Bangladesh University of Engineering and Technology (BUET) before moving to Raleigh, NC, to pursue his PhD. His undergraduate research focused on energy storage technologies, particularly the performance enhancement of graphene-based supercapacitor electrodes using molecular dynamics simulations. At present, his work in the lab explores the fundamentals of water transport through graphene oxide membranes.
Beyond his academic pursuits, Sourav is passionate about various fields, including linguistics, anthropology, and philosophy. He enjoys reading, watching movies, listening to music, cooking recipes from different cuisines, and traveling. He aspires to learn multiple musical instruments and immerse himself in new languages and cultures. Originally from Bangladesh, he carries a deep connection to his home country and often reflects on the family and friends he left behind.
Wanyu Zhao
Wanyu Zhao obtained her Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Hong Kong in 2023, where she worked under the supervision of Prof. Dong-Myeong Shin. Her thesis, Wearable ultra-sensitivity sensor based on triboelectric nanogenerators for sign language communication system, explored the integration of triboelectric nanogenerators into wearable platforms for gesture recognition and human–machine communication. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Marine Engineering from Dalian Maritime University in 2021, completing a thesis on humidity-resistant flag-type triboelectric nanogenerators for wind energy harvesting. From September 2023 to September 2024, she served as a Research Assistant at George Washington University, contributing to the development of transparent flexible electrodes for dynamic cardiac monitoring.
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Her research interests center on fluid mechanics, computational simulation, and machine learning, with additional focus on triboelectric nanogenerators, flexible and stretchable bioelectronics, and nanomanufacturing for biomedical sensing and health monitoring.
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Outside of academia, Zhao is an accomplished pianist with a National Level 10 Piano Certificate and multiple international awards, and she also enjoys playing the cello. In addition, she actively pursues boxing and swimming as part of her personal interests.
Former Group Members
Dr. Nishant Bhatta, Professional Researcher in the group, currently a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Aero-Propulsion, Mechatronics, and Energy (AME) Center, FAMU-FSU College of Engineering.
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Brandon Phillips, undergraduate student in the group.
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Andrew Bonville. undergraduate student in the group.
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Angad Khurana, undergraduate student in the group.​​​
Join Us!
The Heiranian Group is seeking highly-motivated, enthusiastic, and creative students! For more details, please visit www.heiranian.com/positions.