September 1991 - July 1995: Bachelor, Department of Physics, Shanxi University  

September 1995 - July 1998: Master, Institute of Solid State Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences   September 1998 - July 2001: Doctor, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences

December 2001 - July 2006: Postdoctoral Fellow, Iowa State University  

July 2006 - October 2007: Assistant Scientist, Ames Laboratory-USDOE   December 2006 - January 2007: Visiting Scholar, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences   August 2008 - October 2008: Visiting Scholar, Ames Laboratory-USDOE   July 2009 - October 2009: Visiting Scholar, Ames Laboratory-USDOE   September 2011 - December 2011: Visiting Scholar, Department of Physics, The University of Hong Kong   October 2007 - August 2011: Associate Professor, Department of Physics, Renmin University of China   September 2011 - Present: Professor, School of Physics, Renmin University of China

Mainly engaged in theoretical analysis and computer simulation research on the microstructural characteristics, dynamics, mechanical properties of liquid and glassy states, and the glass transition mechanism, including:  

1. Characterization of amorphous disordered structures, including short-range order, medium-range order, and topological order;   2. Dynamic properties of alloy liquids and supercooled liquids, and the glass transition mechanism;   3. Molecular dynamics studies on the glass-forming ability, crystallization mechanism, and mechanical properties of alloys.

Five doctoral students have graduated:   - Dr. Li Fuxiang: Algorithm Department of a new media company   - Dr. Xu Haiyan: Postdoctoral researcher in Israel   - Dr. Jiang Shaoqin: Postdoctoral researcher at Peking University   - Dr. Zhang Huaping: Postdoctoral researcher at the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences   - Dr. Wang Fangru   Five jointly trained doctoral students:   - Dr. Peng Hailong (joint training with the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences): Associate Professor at Central South University   - Dr. Wu Zhenwei (joint training with the College of Engineering, Peking University): Lecturer at Beijing Normal University   - Dr. Shang Baoshuang (joint training with the Institute of Mechanics, Chinese Academy of Sciences): Postdoctoral researcher in France   - Dr. Sun Yitao (joint training with the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences): Currently working at the Institute of Physics   - Dr. Hu Yuanchao (joint training with the Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences): Postdoctoral researcher in the U.S. and Japan   There are currently 3 doctoral students and 2 master's students enrolled. It is planned to recruit 1-2 students for combined master’s-PhD programs or direct PhD admission each year.

The research group has long been committed to developing new characterization methods for disordered structures and computational simulation techniques, and using machine learning and other methods to study key scientific problems that are experimentally difficult to solve and restrict the R&D and innovation of amorphous materials, such as the characterization of disordered structures, the correlation between the structure and dynamics of alloy liquids, the micro-mechanism of glass-forming ability, the crystallization and glass transition mechanisms of alloy supercooled liquids, and the deformation mechanism of amorphous alloys, with a series of innovative and internationally influential research achievements. It has published more than 70 papers in internationally renowned academic journals including *Nature Communications* and *Physical Review Letters*, with a total of over 1,500 citations and an H-index of 20. In 2011, it was selected into the Ministry of Education's New Century Excellent Talent Support Program. It also serves as a member of the Amorphous Physics Professional Committee of the Chinese Physical Society.

1. X. Y. Li, H. P. Zhang, S. Lan, D. L. Abernathy, T. Otomo, F. W. Wang, Y. Ren, M. Z. Li*, X.-L. Wang*, "Observation of high-frequency transverse phonons in metallic glasses", Phys. Rev. Lett. 124, 225902 (2020).

2. Y. T. Sun, H. Y. Bai, M. Z. Li*, W. H. Wang*, "Machine learning approach for prediction and understanding of glass-forming ability", J. Phys. Chem. Lett. 8, 3434 (2017).

3.  Y. C. Hu, F. X. Li, M. Z. Li*, H. Y. Bai, W. H. Wang*, “Five-fold symmetry as indicator of dynamic arrest in metallic glass-forming liquids", Nature Commun. 6, 8310 (2015).

4. Z. W. Wu, M. Z. Li*, W. H. Wang, K. X. Liu*, “Hidden topological order and its correlation with glass-forming ability in metallic glasses", Nature Commun. 6, 6035 (2015).

5. W. Xu, M. T. Sandor, Y. Yao, H. B. Ke, H. P. Zhang, M. Z. Li, W. H. Wang, L. Liu, Y. Wu,“Evidence of liquid-liquid transition in glass-frming La50Al35Ni15 melt above liquidus temperature", Nature Commun. 6, 7696 (2015).

6. Z. W. Wu, M. Z. Li*, W. H. Wang, K. X. Liu*, Correlation between structural relaxation and connectivity of icosahedral clusters in CuZr metallic glass-forming liquids", Phys. Rev. B. 88, 054202 (2013).

7. H. L. Peng, M. Z. Li*, W. H. Wang, “Structural signature of plastic deformation in metallic glasses”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 106, 135503 (2011).

8. M. Z. Li*, Y. Han, and J. W. Evans, “Comment on capture zone scaling in island nucleation”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 104, 149601 (2010).

9. H. L. Peng, M. Z. Li*, W. H. Wang, C.-Z. Wang, and K. M. Ho, “Effect of local structures and atomic packing on glass forming ability in CuZr metallic glasses”, Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 021901 (2010). Highlighted by http://www.nature.com/am/journal/2010/201004/full/am2010115a.html

10. M. Z. Li*, C.-Z. Wang, S. G. Hao, M. Kramer, and K. M. Ho, “Structural heterogeneity and medium-range order in ZrCu metallic glasses”, Phys. Rev. B 80, 184201 (2009).

11. M. Z. Li* and J. W. Evans, “Theoretical analysis of mound slope selection during unstable multilayer growth”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 95, 256101 (2005).

12. E. Cox, M. Z. Li*, P.-W. Chung, C. Ghosh, T. S. Rahman, C. J. Jenks, J. W. Evans, and P. A. Thiel, “Temperature-dependence of island growth shapes in submonolayer deposition of Ag on Ag(111)”, Phys. Rev. B 71, 115414 (2005).

13. M. Z. Li*, M. C. Bartelt, and J. W. Evans, “Geometry-based simulation of submonolayer film growth”, Phys. Rev. B 68, 121401(R) (2003).

14. M. Z. Li, J. F. Wendelken, B.-G. Liu, E. G. Wang, and Z. Zhang, “Decay characteristics of surface mounds with contrasting interlayer mass transport channels”, Phys. Rev. Lett. 86, 2345 (2001).