Award
2019 NSF CAREER Award Winner
Department
Bradley Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Awarded Project
Scalable Nano-integrated 3D Fibers for Multifunctional Neural Interfacing
What path did you take to get to this point in your career and research?
I got my Ph.D. in materials science and engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2011, working on nanomaterials. After that, I decided to take the risk to switch to an entirely different field — neural engineering — for my postdoctoral research. Since joining the electrical and computer engineering department at Virginia Tech in 2015, I have been working on nano- and micro-devices for human and machine interfaces, taking advantage of both my Ph.D. and postdoc experiences.
My career path has been deeply influenced by my Ph.D. advisor Millie Dresselhaus. She was a great role model for me, teaching me that female scientists and engineers can do as well as men do. And she also taught me to always embrace challenges. I am glad that I stepped out of my comfort zone. And I feel fortunate to work on something that I found truly fascinating and can help improve many people’s lives.
What impact do you hope your research will have?
I'm developing miniaturized, flexible, biocompatible, and multifunctional devices for interfacing with the brain. I hope my research can help people who suffer from severe neurological diseases and can help improve their quality of life.
What do you find most interesting about your field of engineering?
Electrical and computer engineering is a very exciting field. It builds upon the fundamental science and principles, yet it connects to almost every aspect of our daily lives. It is also a fast-growing field. In ECE, you will find research topics related to most of the key societal challenges we are facing.