Li Yuzhu, Pearl

Biography

Dr Yuzhu Pearl Li is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at NUS. She is a former Marie-Curie Scholar and a Humboldt Experienced Researcher. Her research covers a broad range of coastal engineering topics, including wave–structure–seabed interaction, breaking waves, sediment transport, liquefaction, and turbulence modelling, with a particular emphasis on computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modelling of complex coastal processes and investigations of coastal protection solutions under climate change. She currently serves as Editor for Coastal Engineering, Journal of Ocean Engineering and Marine Energy, and Editorial Board member of Applied Ocean Research and the OpenFOAM® Journal. She is Chairing the Technical Committee on Climate Change at the Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES).

Qualifications

• PhD, Offshore Engineering – Marine and Subsea Technology, University of Stavanger, Norway, 2019
• Master of Engineering, Ocean and Naval Architecture Engineering, Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada, 2016
• Bachelor of Engineering (Major, with honours), Ocean and Naval Architecture Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology, China, 2013
• Bachelor of Arts (Dual), English Language and Literature, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, China, 2013

Position Held

• Assistant Professor, National University of Singapore, 2021 – Present
• Marie-Curie & H.C. Ørsted Postdoc Fellow, Technical University of Denmark, 2019 – 2021
• Marine Technology Intern, ABS R&D group, American Bureau of Shipping (ABS), Houston, USA, 2015

Grants, Honours & Awards 

• Marie Curie Alumni Association (MCAA) Career Award (2025)
• OMAE Appreciation Award as Local Organiser (2024)
• Humboldt Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers, Germany (2023)
• Marie-Curie & H.C. Ørsted Fellowship, Denmark (2019)
• Distinction of Fellow of the School of Graduate Studies, Memorial University, Canada (2016)
• Full Scholarship for Research-Based M.Eng from Graduate School at Memorial University of Newfoundland, Canada (2013)
• Award of the Outstanding Graduates, China (2013)

Editorial Services

• Associate Editor, Coastal Engineering, 2025 – now
• Associate Editor, Journal of Ocean Engineering and Marine Energy, 2023 – now
• Advisory Editorial Board, Applied Ocean Research, 2024 – now
• Advisory Editorial Board, OpenFOAM^® Journal, 2020 – now
• Advisory Editorial Board, Coastal Engineering, 2024 – 2025

Professional Activities 

• Council Member, The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES), 2023-2024
• Chair of Technical Committee of Climate Change, The Institution of Engineers, Singapore (IES), 2023 – now
• Local Organising Committee & Symposium Coordinator, International Conference on Ocean, Offshore & Arctic Engineering (OMAE), 2024
• Session Chair, International Conference on Coastal Engineering (ICCE), 2024
• Panellist of EU Mission: Restore our Ocean and Waters by 2030, invited by the European Commission and European Research Executive Agency, 2022
• Topic Organiser of Coastal Engineering, 40th International Conference on Ocean, Offshore & Arctic Engineering (OMAE), 2021
• Topic Organiser of Offshore Geotechnics/Pipelines, 37th International Conference on Ocean Offshore & Arctic Engineering (OMAE), 2018
• Member, American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE), 2022 – now
• Member, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2015 – now

Research Interests 

• Computational fluid dynamics (CFD)
• Fluid-structure-seabed interaction
• Turbulence modelling
• Breaking waves
• Sediment transport
• Scour
• Liquefaction

Publications

1. Hu, Z., Qi, W. G., & Li, Y. P. (2025). The role of dynamic seepage response in sediment transport and tsunami‐induced scour. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans, 130(3), e2024JC021084.
2. Hu, Z., & Li, Y. P. (2025). Full-scale tsunami-induced scour around a circular pile with three-dimensional seepage. Coastal Engineering, 104676.
3. Chen, W., & Li, Y. (2024). Energy harvesting performance of an elastically mounted semi-circular cylinder. Renewable Energy, 120692.
4. Meng, D., & Li, Y. (2024). Assessing the Settling Velocity of Biofilm-Encrusted Microplastics: Accounting for Biofilms as an Equivalent to Surface Roughness. Environmental Science & Technology, 58(2), 1329-1337.
5. Hu, Z., & Li, Y. (2023). Two-dimensional simulations of large-scale violent breaking wave impact on a flexible wall. Coastal Engineering, 104370.
6. Chen, W., Alam, M. M., Li, Y., & Ji, C. (2023). Two-degree-of-freedom flow-induced vibrations of a D-section prism. Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 971, A5.
7. Chen, W., & Li, Y. (2023). Evidence and physical mechanism for vortex-induced vibration of a bluff body without an afterbody. Physics of Fluids, 35(6).
8. Yang, L.J., Qi, W.G., Li, Y., & Gao F.P. (2023). Wave-current coupling effects on the variation modes of pore pressure response in a sandy seabed: physical modelling and explicit approximations. Journal of Geophysical Research – Oceans, 128(2).
9. Hu, Z., Huang, L., & Li, Y. (2023). Fully-coupled hydroelastic modelling of a deformable wall in waves. Coastal Engineering, 104245.
10. Li, Y., & Fuhrman, D. R. (2022). On the turbulence modelling of waves breaking on a vertical pile, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 953, A3.
11. Li, Y., Larsen, B. E., & Fuhrman, D. R. (2022). Reynolds stress turbulence modelling of surf zone breaking waves, Journal of Fluid Mechanics, 937, A7.
12. Huang, L., Li, Y., Benites-Munoz, D., Windt, C. W., Feichtner, A., Tavakoli, S., … & Tabor, G. (2022). A review on the modelling of wave-structure interactions based on OpenFOAM. OpenFOAM® Journal, 2, 116-142.
13. Huang, L., & Li, Y. (2022). Design of the submerged horizontal plate breakwater using a fully coupled hydroelastic approach. Computer-Aided Civil and Infrastructure Engineering, 2022
14. Li, Y., & Fuhrman, D. R. (2021). Computational fluid dynamics simulation of deep-water wave instabilities involving wave breaking. Journal of Offshore Mechanics and Arctic Engineering, 144(2).
15. Fuhrman, D. R. & Li, Y. (2020). Instability of the realisable k–ε turbulence model beneath surface waves. Physics of Fluids, 32(11), p.115108.
16. Li, Y., Ong, M. C., & Fuhrman, D. R. (2020). CFD investigations of scour beneath a submarine pipeline with the effect of upward seepage. Coastal Engineering, 156, 103624.
17. Li, Y., Ong, M. C., Fuhrman, D. R., & Larsen, B. E. (2020). Numerical investigation of wave-plus-current induced scour beneath two submarine pipelines in tandem. Coastal Engineering, 156, 103619.
18. Li, Y., Ong, M. C., & Tang, T. (2020). A numerical toolbox for wave-induced seabed response analysis around marine structures in the OpenFOAM® framework. Ocean Engineering, 195, 106678.
19. Li, Y., Ong, M. C., Gudmestad, O. T., & Hjertager, B. H. (2020). The effects of slab geometries and wave directions on the steep wave-induced soil response and liquefaction around gravity-based offshore foundations. Ships and Offshore Structures, 1-12.
20. Celli, D., Li, Y., Ong, M. C., & Di Risio, M. (2020). Random wave-induced momentary liquefaction around rubble mound breakwaters with submerged berms. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering, 8(5), 338.
21. Celli D., Li Y., Ong M. C., & Risio M.D. (2019). The role of submerged berms on the momentary liquefaction around conventional rubble mound breakwaters. Applied Ocean Research, 0141-1187.
22. Pavlou, D. G., & Li, Y. (2018). Seabed dynamic response of offshore wind turbine foundation under vertical harmonic loading: an analytic solution. Mathematical Problems in Engineering, 2018, 6250158.
23. Li Y., Ong M. C., & Tang T. (2018). Numerical analysis of wave-induced poro-elastic seabed response around a hexagonal gravity-based offshore foundation. Coastal Engineering, 136, 81-95.