The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) is proud to feature Professor Yiwen WANG, Associate Professor in the Department of Electronic and Computer Engineering and the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, and Postgraduate Programs Coordinator in ECE. A neural engineer by training and temperament, Prof. Wang is driven by a simple conviction she has held since childhood: when you love something, you persist it without counting losses and gains because the work itself is what matters.

At HKUST, Prof. Wang develops brain–machine interfaces (BMI) that aim to restore function and autonomy for people living with paralysis or neurological injury. Her research combines adaptive signal processing, machine learning, and computational neuroscience to interpret brain signals in real time and translate intention into action, enabling external devices such as robotic systems to be controlled through thought. Beyond device control, she is pushing toward next-generation BMI technologies that can record and stimulate the brain simultaneously, maintaining healthy information flow and supporting rehabilitation by re-establishing the signal path/communication across damaged circuits.

Prof. Wangʼs academic journey spans leading institutions across disciplines and borders. She earned her BS and MS degrees from the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC), before completing her PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Florida. After early experience bridging software and hardware, she served as an Associate Professor at Zhejiang University (2010-2016), and later returned to HKUST to build an interdisciplinary program for neural engineering research.

Her work is recognized internationally through leadership and service in the field, serving as Chair of the IEEE EMBS and having other editorial responsibilities for major journals. She has been named an IEEE EMBS Distinguished Lecturer (2022), received the IEEE EMBS Distinguished Service Award (2023), and was selected as a keynote speaker at IEEE EMBC 2024.

Equally central to her mission is mentorship: Prof. Wang encourages her students at HKUST to think independently, embrace uncertainty, and experience the “pure joy” of making something finally work because that is where great research begins.