My research program is centered on developing and applying advanced microscopy approaches, particularly in situ/liquid phase transmission electron microscopy (LPEM), to visualize the formation pathways of soft matter and biological systems with high spatial and temporal resolution.

Inspired by the hierarchical and adaptive structures found in nature, our work seeks to revisit classical polymer crystallization through a modern, dynamic lens. By directly imaging nucleation, growth, and morphological evolution in real time, in situ TEM enables us to interrogate long-standing assumptions about polymer assembly and to uncover mechanistic details that are inaccessible through static characterization alone. These observations are complemented by a multimodal characterization framework that integrates TEM with atomic force microscopy, X-ray scattering, thermal analysis, and spectroscopy, allowing us to link structure, chemistry, and function across length scales. Beyond synthetic polymers, we apply these imaging strategies to biologically relevant soft materials, including protein assemblies associated with neurodegenerative disease, where structural heterogeneity and dynamic evolution play critical roles in function and pathology. Together, these efforts aim to (1) clarify the mechanisms governing classical and nonclassical crystallization phenomena, (2) enable new modes of materials processing and molecular design, and (3) expand the role of microscopy in understanding complex soft matter assembly.