Professor

2005.09-2010.07, PhD, Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University

2001.09-2005.07, BSc, Measurement & Control Technology and Instrumentation, Tsinghua University

2026.06 – Present, Tenured Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University

2023.07 – 2026.06, Associate Professor (Tenured), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University

2017.07 – 2023.07, Associate Professor (Tenure track), Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University

2015.01 – 2017.07, Associate Researcher, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University

2011.09 – 2014.12, Assistant Researcher, Department of Precision Instruments and Mechanical Engineering/Department of Mechanical Engineering, Tsinghua University

2010.08-2011.09, Postdoctoral Fellow, Weizmann Institute of Science

Postgraduate Courses: Design and Manufacturing (1); Fundamentals of Mechanical Design; Designing & developing practice of Mechatronics Control Systems; Tribology

Undergraduate Courses: Tribology

Research Overview

Focusing on mechanical surface lubrication shear technology and the development of low-energy-consumption equipment, she has long been engaged in fundamental theories and key technologies of thin-film lubrication, superlubricity, and friction reduction and energy saving. She has achieved cross-scale breakthroughs in lubricating interfaces, spanning from microscopic mechanism exploration, key technology development to component and equipment engineering application.

She has presided over or participated in more than 20 research projects, including major national defense projects, National Key R&D Program projects, and 2030 JMRH key projects. She has delivered more than 20 plenary and invited presentations at international conferences, published over 150 SCI-indexed papers, and holds more than 40 invention patents. In addition, she has authored one monograph and co-authored another. She has been consecutively listed in the World’s Top 2% Scientists Rankings. Her research achievements have been specially reported many times by authoritative academic platforms at home and abroad, such as the official website of the International Tribology Council (ITC) and Advanced Science News. Serving as the chief designer, she has developed a new generation long endurance, low noise unmanned underwater vehicle. Her research achievements have been applied in engineering practice in the fields of the Winter Olympics, underwater vehicles, and aerospace equipment components.

Research directions: Tribology, Interfacial science and technology, Superlubricity, drag reduction and noise reduction, Underwater equipment

2026.07- Present The 11^th National Congress of the China Association for Science and Technology, Member

2026.05- Present Expert Panel of the Science and Technology Committee for National Defense Industry, Member

2026.01- Present Abrasion and Protection Technology Committee of the Chinese Society for Corrosion and Protection, Deputy director

2025.09- Present Committee of Women Scientists and Technologists of the Chinese Mechanical Society, Member

2025.05- Present Naval University of Engineering, Adjunct Graduate Supervisor

2024.11- Present Expert Group for Marine Technology Foresight of the Ministry of Science and Technology, Member

2024.11- Present Friction, Youth Editorial Board Member

2021.08- Present Youth Forum Committee, Tribology Institution of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, Member

2021.05- Present Journal of Chongqing University of Technology (Natural Science) , Youth Editorial Board Member

2020.07- Present Journal of Tsinghua University (Science and Technology), Distinguished Editorial Board Member

2018.04- Present Frontier in Mechanical Engineering, Review Editor

2022.01-2026.01 Special Committee on Erosion and Protection Technology of the Chinese Society for Corrosion and Protection, Standing Committee Member and Deputy Secretary-General

2016.11-2020.11 National Technical Committee on Metrology of Force, Hardness, and Gravity, Member

2015.10-2017.10 Youth Work Committee of the Tribology Institution of the Chinese Mechanical Engineering Society, Deputy Secretary-General

1. Recipient of the Beijing Young Scholar Award (Young Beijing Scholars Program), 2026

2. Recipient of the Wang Yuming Science and Technology Foundation Youth Award (6 recipients per year nationwide), 2026

3. Second Prize of the Beijing Municipal Natural Science Award (First Contributor), 2025

4. Second Prize of the Original Technology Innovation Award (First Contributor) , 2025

5. Tsinghua University Award for Distinguished Young Teachers (10 recipients university-wide per year), 2024

6. Best Paper Award, Friction, 2022

7. Second Prize of the Science and Technology Progress Award, China Machinery Industry Science and Technology Award, 2021

8. Tsinghua University Advanced Worker Award, 2021

9. Recipient of the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Excellent Young Scientists Fund, 2019

10. National High-Level Talent Support Program, Youth Project, 2016

11.Wen Shizhu Maple Leaf Award – Young Scholar Award (2 recipients per year), 2015

Selected Peer-reviewed Articles (*correspondence)

1. Yuanzhe Li, Shaowei Li, Pengpeng Bai, Wenpeng Jia, Quan Xu, Yonggang Meng, Liran Ma*, Yu Tian*. Surface wettability effect on aqueous lubrication: Van der Waals and hydration force competition induced adhesive friction. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2021, 599: 667-675.

2. Pingsu Ma, Yuan Liu, Xiao Sang, Junjun Tan, Shuji Ye*, Liran Ma*, Yu Tian. Homogeneous interfacial water structure favors realizing a low-friction coefficient state. Journal of Colloid and Interface Science, 2022, 626: 324-333.

3. Ming Gao, Haoyu Li, Liran Ma*, Yuan Gao, Linwei Ma, Jianbin Luo*. Molecular behaviors in thin film lubrication—Part two: Direct observation of the molecular orientation near the solid surface. Friction, 2019, 7: 479–488.

4. Liran Ma*, Chenhui Zhang. Discussion on the Technique of Relative Optical Interference Intensity for the Measurement of Lubricant Film Thickness. Tribology Letters, 2009, 36:239–245.

5. Liran Ma, Jianbin Luo*. Thin film lubrication in the past 20 years. Friction, 2016, 4(4):280-302.

Representative Patents

1. Ma Liran, Huang Zhitao, Liu Yuan, Dong Chang, Shi Zhifeng, Wang Haoyu. Ice skates and their friction coefficient determination method. China, ZL202110593115.6, 2026-01-27；

2. Ma Liran, Huang Zhitao. Preparation methods for superhydrophobic coatings and superhydrophobic coatings. China, ZL202410046363.2, 2025-11-18；

3. Ma Liran, Liu Yuan, Dong Chang, Shi Zhifeng, Huang Zhitao. An ice skate blade for ice skating, a manufacturing method thereof, and an ice skate. China, ZL202111581935.X, 2023-04-07；

4. Ma Liran, Wang Kuifang, Wen Shizhu, Luo Jianbin. A device for triboluminescence. China, ZL201710083786.1, 2019-09-2010.

5. Ma Liran, Liang Yong, Gao Yuan, Li Baihong, Luo Jianbin. An online method for measuring tribochemical properties on lubrication interfaces. China, ZL201510347795.8, 2017-11-28.