Pan Jia

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About

Pan Jia is a rising researcher in soft robotics and biomechanics, whose work bridges fundamental physics with biological inspiration. Her key research areas include soft-body locomotion, dielectric elastomer mechanics, and the neuromechanics of invertebrate movement. In her most cited work, "Mechanics of Soft-Body Rolling Motion without External Torque" (2025, 9 citations), Jia overturned conventional assumptions about how *Drosophila* larvae roll to escape predators. Using functional imaging and ablation experiments, she demonstrated that this efficient rolling is not driven by external forces like gravity or ground reaction, but by internal body bending—a discovery with profound implications for designing soft robots that move without external torque. Her earlier work on "Dynamic variation of the dielectric permittivity of elastomers with mechanical constraints" (2023, 5 citations) tackled a critical challenge in soft robotics: accurately measuring how mechanical strain alters the electrical properties of elastomers used in actuators and sensors. By developing an imaging-based method to capture these dynamic changes, Jia provided a practical tool for improving the performance of soft robotic components. Though early in her career, her work has already garnered attention for its clever experimental designs and potential to reshape how we understand and engineer soft-bodied movement.