About Me

My name is Minhuan Li (李黾奂), currently a third-year PhD student of Applied Physics at Harvard University. I am fortunate to be advised by Professor Doeke Hekstra. In Doeke’s lab, I try to use statistical physics framework plus machine learning tools to construct models of protein dynamics. Besides direct biomedical applications, proteins could serve as a great model system to study evolution and statistical sampling principles.

I am broadly interested in understanding complex systems with statistical physics. Generally speaking, I am an advocate of Anderson’s ‘More is Different’ philosophy. Before coming to Harvard, I graduated from the Physics Department Fudan University. I did research about phase transitions in colloids under supervision of Prof. Peng Tan, which provides me ample intuitions about system statistics. I have also worked with Prof. Cengiz Pehlevan in the computational neuroscience field, where we construct a theoretical framework to understand how could brain incorporates different information resources. Based on my research experiences, I would rather call myself an ‘Interdisciplinary Researcher’ than a pure ‘Physics Researcher’.

Outside academics, I am a cinephilia (or a film lover). I enjoy literary films, or so-called Le film d’auteur. My favourite directors include Yasujirō Ozu(小津安二郎), Emir Kusturica(库斯图里卡), Woody Allen(伍迪艾伦) and 姜文. I also enjoy rock music, soccer, ping-pong, and bouldering. I find it great when people devote themselves into something and dig out tiny ambiguous emotions generated from their glorious spiritual world.