Biography

Place of birth:  Heilongjiang, Manchuria, China

Date of birth:  19/04/1979

Citizenship: Chinese

e-mail: kun.tian@uniroma2.it

Current Post: PhD in “Materials for health, environment  and energy” at University of Rome “Tor Vergata”

Academic Profile: Bachelor in Dentistry, Harbin Medical University, CN; MSc in Dental Materials Science, University of Hong Kong, CN;  PhD in Clinical Medicine, Semmelweis University, HU

Her career embodies a yin-yang survey of the biomaterials sciences – with experience spanning clinical dentistry through fundamental aspects of material properties, from the macro- to micro-scopic scales. She completed her training as a clinical dentist in 2003 (Harbin Medical University, Manchuria, PRC). During her professional practice in Harbin, Beijing, and Chengdu (2003-2007) She developed an interest in the optimisation of dental materials. This initiated her move to the University of Hong Kong to pursue an MSc in Dental Materials Science (2007-2009), under the supervision of Professor Brian W. Darvell, with particular success emerging from determination of mechanical properties and her first scientific publication (Dent. Mater., 2010). She tooks-up a research position at Semmelweis University in Budapest, under the direction of Professor Csaba Dobό-Nagy. Her research focused on characterising dental cements, leading to my completing a PhD in clinical medicine (Sep, 2014). The research freedom in Budapest allowed me to help pioneer the application of neutron scattering, coherent-THz spectroscopy, simulation and other techniques (SEM, TEM, DSC, XRD) to dental materials (Nat. Commun., 2015). Now, she is working to master the fundamental aspects of neutron scattering and other spectroscopic techniques, from a physical perspective, towards evolving the characterisation and optimisation of biomaterials.

Research

My research interests include the characterisation of biomaterials using novel techniques to advance our understanding of these materials, towards rational optimisation and design.

My current focus includes the characterisation of the structure, setting dynamics and mechanical properties of cements employed in biomedical and energy-efficient construction applications. I employ a combined spectroscopic (coherent-THz, neutron scattering), imaging (SEM, TEM, tomography) and bulk approaches (DSC, mechanical testing, imaging). The long-term aim is the rational optimisation and design of such materials, in-line with EU-directives and global challenges.

Front Left: Claudia Scatigno, Alexandra Parmentier, Dalila Onorati, Carla Andreani, Giulia Festa, M. Cristina Morone, Roberto Senesi, Kun Tian, Pierfrancesco Ulpiani

Selected Publications

[2017] V. Tian,* G. Festa, F. Basoli, G. Laganà, A. Scherillo, C. Andreani, S. Licoccia, R. Senesi,* P. Cozza, Orthodontic archwire composition and phase analyses by neutron spectroscopy, Dent. Mater. J., 36 (2017), 282-288 doi: 10.4012/dmj.2016-206

[2017] V. Tian,* G. Festa, L. Szentmiklósi, B. Maróti, L. Arcidiacono, G. Laganà, C. Andreani, S. Licoccia, R. Senesi,* P. Cozza, Compositional studies of functional orthodontic archwires using prompt-gamma activation analysis at a pulsed neutron source, JAAS., 32 (2017) 1420-1427 doi: 10.1039/C7JA00065K

[2016] V. Tian, M. Z. Mahmoud, P. Cozza, S. Licoccia, D-C. Fang, D. Di Tommaso, G. A. Chass,* G. N. Greaves, Periodic vs. molecular cluster approaches to resolving glass structure and properties: Anorthite a case study, J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 451 (2016), 138-145 doi: 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2016.06.027

[2016] V. Tian, D. Di Tomasso,* G. A. Chass,* Simulations reveal the role of composition into the atomic-level flexibility of bioactive glass cements, Phys. Chem. Chem. Phys., 18 (2016), 837-845 doi: 10.1039/C5CP05650K

[2015] V. Tian, B. Yang, Y. Z. Yue, J. Mayers, C. Dobó-Nagy, D. T. Bowron, J. W. Nicholson, D-C Fang, A. L. Greer, G. A. Chass,* G. N. Greaves,* Atomic and vibrational origins of mechanical toughness in bio-cement during setting, Nat. Commun, 6 (2015) 8631 doi:10.1038/ncomms9631

[2015] T. Pederson, K. V. Tian,* C. Dobó-Nagy, G. A. Chass, G. N. Nevill, Y. Z. Yue,* Phase separation in an ionomer glass: Insight from calorimetry and phase transitions, J. Non-Cryst. Solids, 415 (2015), 24-29 doi: 10.1016/j.jnoncrysol.2015.02.012

[2012] V. Tian, P. M. Nagy, G. A. Chass, P. Fejerdy, J. W. Nicholson, I. G. Csizmadia, C. Dobó-Nagy,* Qualitative assessment of microstructure and Hertzian indentation failure in biocompatible glass ionomer cements, J. Mater. Sci. Mater. Med., 23 (2012), 677-685 doi: 10.1007/s10856-012-4553-2

[2010]A. Davies, S. Ardalan, W. H. Mu, K. Tian, F. Farsaikiya, B. W. Darvell, G. A. Chass,* Geometric, electronic and elastic properties of dental silver amalgam γ-(Ag3Sn), γ1-(Ag2Hg3), γ2-(Sn8Hg) phases, comparison of experiment and theory, Intermetallics, 18 (2010), 756-760 doi: 10.1016/j.intermet.2009.12.004

[2010] K. Tian, B. W. Darvell,* Determination of flexural modulus of elasticity of orthodontic archwires, Dent. Mater., 26 (2010), 821-829 doi: 10.1016/j.dental.2010.04.007