Ivan Saika-Voivod

Professor

Department of Physics and Physical Oceanography

Memorial University of Newfoundland

St. John's, Newfoundland, Canada, A1B 3X7

Room C3026, Chemistry and Physics Building

Telephone: (709) 864-8886

Fax: (709) 864-8739

saika@mun.ca

Brief CV

Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland, (2020-present)

Visiting Professor, Department of Applied Mathematics, Western University (Aug. 15, 2019 - August 14, 2020).

Associate Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland, (2012-2020)

Assistant Professor, Memorial University of Newfoundland, (2006-2012)

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Saskatchewan, with Richard K. Bowles (2004-2006)

Postdoctoral Researcher, University of Rome La Spaienza, with Francesco Sciortino (2003-2004)

Ph.D. Applied Mathematics - Theoretical Physics (alas the Applied Math Department has closed -- very sad), University of Western Ontario, with Peter H. Poole (2002)

Courses

Research

Publications

Google Scholar

glass-forming properties of silica, water and other liquids
crystal nucleation
thermodynamics of clusters
colloidal gelation
phase behaviour (calculating phase diagrams)
dynamical properties of liquids
peptides, proteins and lipid membranes
magnetic nanoparticles

People

Current

Vikentiy Pashuk (joint with L. Morrissey and R. Taylor, MUN Engineering)

MSc (June 2024 - present): Atomistic studies of ices and icy surfaces in harsh environments

Mathieu Muise (joint with M. Shajahan Gulam Razul, St. Francis Xavier University)

MSc (Sept. 2023 - present): Molecular dynamics simulation of ice growth

Ying Jiang

MSc (Sept. 2023 - present): Mean first-passage time analysis of nucleation

Vikas Yadav (joint with M. Shajahan Gulam Razul, St. Francis Xavier University)

PhD (Sept. 2022 - present): Molecular dynamics simulation of ice growth

Parisa Mirzaei (joint with Kris Poduska)

MSc (Sept. 2022 - present): Molecular dynamics simulation calcium carbonates

Yiming Huang

SURA (Summer 2022, with S. Malek): Simulation of peptides in water nanodroplets
BSc. Honours (with S. Malek, Sept. 2022 -- April 2023): A molecular dynamics simulation study of peptides confined in aqueous nanodroplets (thesis)
MSc. (Sept. 2023 - present, joint with Stefan Walin and Shahrazad Malek)

Vahid Sheigani

BSc. Honours (May 2022 -- Dec. 2022): Characterizing structure in dipolar-depletion colloidal systems with autoencoders (thesis)
Reseach assistant (May 2022 - present)

Past

Yimiao Zhao

Research Assistant (Summer 2022 - present, joint with M. Morrow): Simulation of lung surfactant protein fragments in model lipid bilayer

Cassandra Clowe-Coish

USRA (Summer 2021, Summer 2022): Simulation of dipolar colloids with depletion interactions
BSc. Honours (Sept. 2021 - April 2022): Computer simulation of dipolar-depletion colloids (thesis)

Shivani Semwal

PhD (with A. Yethiraj -- I joined as co-supervisor Sep. 2020): Dipolar-Depletion: study of a field-tunable colloid-polymer system (defended Apr. 28, 2022; final submission May 10, 2022); thesis)

Kyle Hall

Part-time RA (Summer 2021): Machine Learning analysis of colloidal structures

Abinu Jyothini

MSc (with M. Morrow -- I joined as co-supervisor Apr. 2020, finished Nov. 2022): Experimental and Computational Studies of the Effect of Lung Surfactant Protein-B Fragment, SP-B(1−9), on Model Lipid Bilayers (thesis)

Razyeh Behbahani

PhD (joint with M. Plumer, Jan. 2017 - Sept. 2021): Modeling Magnetic Nanoparticles: Application to Hyperthermia (defended Aug. 26, 2021; final submission Sept. 21, 2021; thesis)

Andrew Way

undergrad research assistant and BSc Honours (joint with M. Plumer, summer 2015 - summer 2017) Continuous Degeneracy and Magnetization Process in the 3D FCC Kagome Lattice with the Dipole-Dipole Interaction
MSc (joint with C. Bazan, Sept. 2017 - Oct. 2019) Characterization of molecularly imprinted polymer films

Nicholas Robichaud

USRA (Summer 2017) Simulation of SP-B dimers (with Valerie Booth)
USRA (Summer 2018) Simulation of SP-B dimers, Lattice models of intrinsically disordered protein phase separation (with Stefn Wallin)
BSc Honours (joint with Stefan Wallin, Sept. 2018 - April 2019) Lattice models of intrinsically disordered protein phase separation
Summer 2019, SP-B dimers and Lattice models of IDPs

Shahrazad Malek

MSc (Sept. 2012 - Aug. 2014): Crystallization of Lennard-Jones nandroplets: From near melting to deeply supercooled pdf
PhD (joint with P.H. Poole, St. Francis Xavier University, Sept. 2014 - Aug. 2018, with distinction): Thermodynamic and structural anomalies of water nanodroplets from computer simulations
Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies

Kyle Hall

undergrad research assistant and BSc Honours (joint with M. Plumer, Jan. 2016 - summer 2017) Monte Carlo simulations of magnetic dipoles on the FCC kagome lattice

Haruki Hirasawa

BSc Honours and research assistant (joint with A. Yethiraj, Sept. 2015 - summer 2016) Investigation of the dynamics of rod-like colloids during sedimentation (thesis)

Mohammad Hassan Khatami

PhD candidate (joint with V. Booth, Jan. 2012 - Sept. 2016) Membrane-active protein interactions with phospholipid bilayers

Shane Holden

Undergraduate Research Assistant: nucleation in the Ising model (Summer 2013)
Undergraduate Research Assistant and Honours BSc (with M. Plumer Summer 2014 - Summer 2015): Frustration of Dipolar Spins on the Kagome Lattice

Ahmad Almudallal

PhD candidate (Jan. 2010 - April 2014) Computer simulations of core-softened attractive disks: Phase behaviour and inverse melting pdf
• designated Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies (PhD)
• Talk: Pulling at the fabric of the exotic phase diagram for a simple 2D model, APS March Meeting, Denver, Colorado, 2014 (abstract)
• Inverse melting in a two-dimensional off-lattice model, J. Chem. Phys. 140, 144505 (2014)
• Talk: Phase behaviour of a 2D system exhibiting inverse melting, APS March Meeting, Baltimore, Maryland, 2013 (abstract)
• Phase diagram of a two-dimensional system with anomalous liquid properties, J. Chem. Phys. 137, 034507 (2012)
• Engaged in collaborative research with Soricimed Biopharma Inc.
MSc (Jan. 2008 - Jan. 2010): Simulation study of a colloidal system under the influence of an external electric field.
• designated Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies (MSc)
• Simulation of a two-dimensional model for colloids in a uniaxial electric field, Phys. Rev. E 84, 011402 (2011)
• Talk: Simulation study of a colloidal system under the influence of an external electric field, CAP Congress, Jun 7-10, University of Moncton, Moncton, New Brunswick, 2009

Victoria Grandy

Honours student, 2013: Vibrational density of states of silica glasses
Winner 2nd place Poster Competition: CUPC 2012, Vancouver
Winner, ACEmat Award in Computational Modeling of Materials, "Vibrational Density of States of Glassy Silica System via Molecular Dynamics Simulations", ChemCon 2013, St. John's

Brendan Cooke - Winter/Summer 2012

Undergraduate Research Assistant: Simulation of primitive silica models

Kathryn Manning (joint with Luc Beaulieu)

summer research and Honours (May 2010 - Aug. 2011): Modeling the motion of viruses in microcantilever sensor cells with different geometries in order to optimize detection efficiency.

Dr. Marek Bromberek (joint with A. Yethiraj)

Postdoctoral Fellow (Sep 2009 - Aug. 2011): MD simulation of sedimenting colloids; simulation of peptides in lipid bilayers.

Yanfei Ding (joint with Q. Chen)

MSc (Sept. 2007 - Dec. 2009): Organic bulk heterojunction solar cells with improved efficiency

Joshua Turner

Research assistant and honours thesis (May 2008 - Aug 2009): Local order in the Kob-Anderson Lennard-Jones binary mixture.

Greg Morrow

Research assistant and honours thesis (May 2008 - Aug 2009): Test of mean-first-passage-time formalism and CNT on freezing Lennard-Jones clusters
• Talk: Molecular Dynamics Simulations: Investigating Nucleation in Liquid Clusters, APICS Undergraduate Physics and Astronomy Conference (AUPAC), Feb 6th-8th, Fredericton, New Brunswick (2009).
• NSERC Representatives' Undergraduate Student Awards; 2nd Place for Best Talk (awarded at AUPAC, University of New Brunswick, 2009).
• ACEnet Institute for Materials Modeling and Simulation Award in Computational Modeling of Materials (awarded at AUPAC, University of New Brunswick, 2009)

Dr. Manuel Valera (joint with A. Yethiraj)

Postdoctoral Fellow (Jan. 2008 - Aug. 2008): MD simulation of sedimenting colloids.
Now a faculty member at Slippery Rock University

Sarah Graham

Research assistant and honours thesis (May 2007 - Aug. 2008): Test of mean-first-passage-time formalism and CNT on crystal nucleation in Lennard-Jones liquid.
• Test of classical nucleation theory and mean first-passage time formalism on crystallization in the Lennard-Jones liquid, J. Chem. Phys. 131, 104503 (2009)
• talk: Test of a new method to analyze simulations of nucleation and crystal growth. Atlantic Undergraduate Physics and Astronomy Conference, Feb 2008, Charlottetown, PEI.

Joe Fitzgerald

Research assistant (July 2008 - Aug. 2008): Extension of the EMLD-DNT formalism to crystal nucleation

Kevin Stirling

Research assistant (May 2007 - Aug. 2007): MD simulation of hydroxyapatite.
Honours Thesis student (Sept. 2008 - Dec. 2008 - unfinished)

Heather King

MSc candidate (Sept. 2008 - Apr. 2009) -unfinished, transferred to Geophysics
Research assistant (May 2007-July 2008): MD Simulation of a model colloidal gel-forming system, comparison with models for silica.

Silica is a major component of the earth's crust and mantle. Sand is a form of silica. The tetrahedral structure of silica makes it analogous in some ways to water. The two often combine in pleasant ways. As an undergraduate years ago, I downloaded an image from the web that illustrates this point, but lost information on whose painting it was. I had posted it below in hopes that someone might provide this information. Thanks go to Simeon Hanks for finding this information. The painting is called "Day by the Sea" (День у моря) by David Davidovich Shterenberg (b. 1931, d. 2014), and can be found by browsing through some of his paintings here.

Elon Musk: Physics is the secret sauce at 18:46.

Pizza Poster Pizza Slides