Dr Yu Jia is currently a Senior Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Aston University. Yu Jia's research mainly focuses on nonlinear vibration dynamics, energy harvesting, MEMS, sensors and transducers, structural health monitoring, smart microsystems and smart multi-functional composites. Application areas include smart condition monitoring for automotive, aerospace, rail, infrastructure, manufacturing and medical sectors. Yu Jia's teaching specialities revolve around dyanmics, statics, mechatronics and MEMS.

To date, Yu Jia has published 68 academic papers (33 journal articles and 35 international conference papers), has filed 12 patents, has been an academic investigator for ~£2.1 million worth of research funding and £400k worth of scholarships, generated £200k in IP royalty, been a named researcher for £800k worth of projects, and has saved an insurance company £1M through technical consultancy. He is a co-founder of the Cambridge spin-out company: 8Power Ltd., a Senior Member of the IEEE and a Steering Board member of the Energy Harvesting Network. Yu Jia collaborates with about 20 universities, 10 companies and 2 charities.

• Chair, Energy Harvesting 2020, Birmingham, UK, 29 April 2020
• Sessional Chair, PowerMEMS-in-Action and Poster, Poland, 4 Dec. 2019
• Co-chair, Energy Harvesting 2017, Manchester, UK, 5 April 2017

• Nonlinear vibration dynamics
• Energy harvesting
• MEMS (micro-electro-mechanical systems)
• Sensors and transducers
• Structural health monitoring
• Smart microsystems
• Smart multi-functional composites
• Conformal antenna
• Printed flexible electronics and senors

• PhD in Engineering, University of Cambridge, 2014
• MEng in Electromechanical Engineering, 1st Class Honours, University of Southampton, 2010

• 2019-2019: Associate Professor, University of Chester
• 2017-2018: Senior Lecturer, University of Chester
• 2015-2017: Lecturer: University of Chester
• 2014-2015: Research Associate, University of Cambridge

• Senior Member, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers
• Fellow, Higher Education Academy
• Fellow, Santander Universities
• Steering board member, Energy Harvesting Network

• Publons Top Peer Reviewer, Global Peer Review Awards 2019
• IOP Outstanding Reviewer Award 2018 (SMS)
• Elsevier Outstanding Reviewer status, MSSP, Oct 2018
• Elsevier Outstanding Reviewer status, Applied Acoustics, Oct 2018
• Elsevier Outstanding Reviewer status, Sensors and Actuators A, July 2018
• Research Informed Teaching Award, University of Chester Learning and Teaching Conference, June 2018
• IOP Outstanding Reviewer Award 2017 (SMS)
• Santander International Research Excellence Award 2016/2017
• Best Student Oral Presentation Award at PowerMEMS 2013, the Royal Society, London, UK

• PI, IUK subcontract for clean air, 2020-2021, £1.5M
• PI, Industry consultancy, 2019, £12k
• PI, Academic consultancy, 2019, £8k
• PI, Learning and Teaching pedagogy dissemination grant, 2018: £0.4k
• Co-I, 2018-2020, Innovate UK Industrial challenge: £500k
• PI, 2017, Industrial funded feasibility study phase 1: £25k
• PI, 2016, International Research Excellence Award 2016/17: £1k
• PI, 2015-2017, Vibration dynamics and MEMS lab: ~£50k
• Co-I, 2015, CSIC core project on vibration powered WSN for automotive applications: £2k
• Co-I, 2013-2014, CSIC core small project - energy harvesting prototype and benchmark: £25k

Interviews given to press and media:

• TecQuipment case study video at Aston University, 2019
• New Scientist, 2018, commentary on new nanowire energy harvesting technology.
• Telegraph, 2017, feature film interview with my FYP student Maisie Snowdon on campus.
• CE Magazine, American Society of Civil Engineers, 2014, interview on testing energy harvesting prototype on the Forth Road Bridge.
   

Institutional press releases:

• 2018, University of Chester press release on launching Innovate UK collaborative project with UK battery company Ilika, Chinese university NUAA and leading Chinese wind turbine blade manufacturer Titan Winds; to develop smart self-sensing wind turbine blades.
• 2017, University of Chester press release on my FYP student Maisie Snowdon wining the Energy category of Telegraph STEM 2017 Award, for developing energy harvesting solution on falcons to extend the battery life of falcon tracking systems.
• 2016, University of Cambridge press release on 8power Ltd securing venture capitalist funding.
• 2015, University of Cambridge press release on the establishment of the spin-off company 8power Ltd.
• 2014, University of Cambridge press release on testing and demonstration of energy harvesting technology on the Forth Road Bridge in Scotland.
• 2013, University of Cambridge press release on conference paper award at PowerMEMS 2013. A demo video is uploaded on the Cambridge University Engineering Department’s YouTube page.
• 2012, University of Cambridge press release on invention (and patent filing) of parametrically driven energy harvesting technology.

Dynamics, mechatronics and MEMS