Sidong Lei
ATLANTA — Sidong Lei, an assistant professor of Physics & Astronomy whose research focuses on quantum physics and materials science, has been named as one of two recipients of the 2023 Dean’s Early Career Award.
The award recognizes early-career faculty in the College of Arts & Sciences who are emerging leaders in their field of research, scholarship, or creative activity.
Lei is the principal investigator and creator of the Functional Materials Studio at Georgia State, a state-of-the-art facility that allows for investigation of certain types of nanomaterials, which are made up of ultra-tiny particles. (For scale, a human hair is about 80,000 to 100,000 nanometers wide.) Nanoparticles are increasingly used in pharmaceuticals and a wide range of consumer products including stain-repellent fabrics, paints, cosmetics, and some foods.
Lei’s lab aims to fully explore the potential of nanomaterials to advance the development of electronics including those that detect and control light for fundamental research and real-world applications in sensing, computing, telecommunications and more. His lab is also investigating ceramic materials for special applications.
He also aims to pursue research designed to address critical medical and biological challenges, including development of a miniature image sensor four times smaller than the current state-of-the-art. Even smaller devices would allow for exploration and treatment of the narrowest places in the human body, supporting precise and fast diagnosis, drug delivery and treatment in ways that are not currently possible. As part of this work, his research group is prototyping novel implantable devices, such as pacemakers, based on their innovations in materials and microelectronic devices.
Lei, who includes undergraduate as well as graduate students in his research, has two patents pending arising from his work at Georgia State.
Lei earned his Ph.D. from Rice University and joined Georgia State in 2018 after working as a postdoctoral fellow at UCLA.
Recipients of the Dean’s Early Career Award are selected based on outstanding achievements in research and teaching, as well as service contributions to Georgia State.
Lei said he is honored to be recognized with this award.
“I would like to express my deep appreciation for the unwavering support and encouragement I have received from the University, College, and specifically, my fellow researchers,” Lei said. “This award was a result of a teamwork and I also want to thank my students for their dedication and hard work in making discoveries and fostering innovation.”
Xiaochun He, Regents’ Professor of Physics at Georgia State, said Lei deserves recognition for his work.
“Dr. Lei is a rising star in the field of condensed matter in our department,” He said. “His hard work, dedication, and achievement have earned him strong praise, respect, and admiration by faculty and students.”
The award is funded by private contributions from members of the college’s Board of Visitors and other donors to support rising stars among the faculty. As part of their recognition, recipients are provided $3,000 in professional development funds.
The other 2023 recipient is Isha Metzger, Assistant Professor of Psychology. Read her story here.