Yongtao Liu

Bio

Dr. Yongtao Liu is an R&D staff working in Data NanoAnalytics Group at the Center for Nanophase Materials Sciences, Oak Ridge National Laboratory. Dr. Liu’s current research interest focuses on machine learning-driven autonomous experiments, ferroelectrics, and optoelectronic materials.

Education

• B.S. in Materials Chemistry, School of Chemistry, Nankai University
• Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

Awards / honors

• 2026 MRS Early Career Distinguished Speaker
• 2025 Rising Star in Nanoscience ACS Nanoscience Au
• 2024 APS MAS Early Career Travel Award
• 2024 Microscopy Today Innovation Award
• 2023 AVS NSTD Early Career Competition Finalist
• 2023 R&D 100 Award
• 2023 Microscopy Society of America Postdoctoral Scholar Award
• 2022 ORNL Best Scholarly Output
• 2022 AVS NSTD Early Career Competition Finalist
• 2022 CNMS Best Postdoctoral
• 2019 Joseph E. Spruiell Award for Excellence in Research
• 2019 American Vacuum Society Graduate Research Award
• 2019 CNMS User Meeting Best Poster Award
• 2019 Materials Research Society Graduate Student Silver Award
• 2018 CNMS User Meeting Best Poster Finalist
• 2018 Materials Research Society Graduate Student Silver Award

Professional Experience

Society Service

• 2025-present: Board Members of Materials Research Society (MRS) Artificial Intelligence (AI) Topical Community
• 2023-2025: Executive Committee Member of American Vacuum Society Nanoscale Science and Technology Division

Editor

• 2025-2026: Guest Associate Editor, npj Flexible Electronics

Conference Symposium and Workshop Organizer 

• 2026 MS&T: Materials Science & Technology: Autonomous Synthesis and Characterization: Experiments and Digital Twins for Theory-Enhanced Self-Driving Laboratories of the Future; Oct 4-7, 2026; Pittsburgh, PA
• 2026 MRS Spring Meeting Symposium MT01; Apr 26-May 1, 2026; Honolulu, Hawaii
• 2026 ACerS Spring Meeting Symposium 14; Apr 12-16, 2026; Bellevue, WA
• 2025 MRS Fall Meeting Symposium MT01; Nov 30-Dec 5, 2025; Boston, MA
• 2025 MS&T: Materials Science & Technology: Symposium--Enhancing the Accessibility of Machine Learning-Enabled Experiments; Sep 28 - Oct 1, 2025; Columbus, OH
• 2025 ACerS EMA Basic Science and Electronic Materials Meeting: Symposium 14; Feb 25-28, 2025; Denver, CO
• 2024 MRS Fall Meeting: Symposium MT02; Dec 1- 6, 2024; Boston, MA
• 2024 Microscopy &Microanalysis Meeting: Symposium C02; July 28-Aug 1, 2024; Cleveland, OH
• 2024 MRS/ACerS Joint Workshop: AI/ML for Ceramics/Glasses; Mar 26-27, 2024; Virtual
• 2024 ACerS EMA Basic Science and Electronic Materials Meeting: Symposium S09; Feb 13-16, 2024; Denver, CO
• 2023 MRS Fall Meeting: Symposium DS02; Nov 26-Dec 1, 2023; Boston, MA
• 2023 CNMS User Meeting Workshop: Autonomous Characterization and Synthesis; Aug 7, 2023; Knoxville, TN 

Publications