(4lx) Multifunctional Soft Bioelectronics for Personalized Healthcare and Human Machine Interface

Skin-interfaced bioelectronic devices are revolutionizing the way we monitor physiological changes, allowing for continuous observation of subtle variations during everyday activities. The widespread availability and adoption of these digital technologies have led to the collection of extensive datasets, opening up a plethora of new opportunities. For instance, it provides individuals insights into the dynamic of their physiology as the body evolves over healthy and sick states and offers a promising way to identify early biomarkers. In clinical practice, it is transforming the centralized, reactive healthcare to proactive healthcare, considerably contributing to both fundamental and applied medical research.

My previous research has been dedicated to developing soft bioelectronics tailored for personalized healthcare and human-machine interfaces, focusing on user-friendly, durable, and multimodal wearables. My research goal was to develop next-generation wearables that are 1) user-friendly and disposable to improve their long-lasting usability, 2) mechanically and electrically robust and reliable to retain their performance under various dynamic deformations, and 3) multimodal to provide a comprehensive picture of the body’s states. Initially trained in materials science, my academic pursuits have subsequently diversified, embracing fields such as chemical engineering, electrical engineering, and biomedical engineering. Taking advantage of highly interdisciplinary approach, my research will employ theoretical, numerical, and experimental methods to understand the fundamental mechanics and physics of materials, and to create novel materials, structures and devices with unprecedented properties and performances, aiming to address the grand challenges in soft robotics and personalized healthcare. My long-term vision is to develop self-powered biomedical devices that can be integrated into wearable formats like clothing, wristbands, patches, or tattoos to continuously probe a range of body biomarkers. Specifically, my own lab will prioritize the following research themes in the pursuit of next-generation wearable and implantable devices.

Theme A. Development of user-friendly and strain-insensitive devices

System-level multimodal bioelectronic devices, composed of soft sensors and rigid electronic components, demand strain-resilient sensors and interconnects that offer exceptional mechanical tolerance. On the one hand, my research expertise on the fabrication of soft materials and sensors allows me to develop a variety of wearable and implantable devices based on disposable and user-friendly materials. On the other hand, while massive stretchable conductors and biophysical sensors have been developed, there are few reports on biochemical sensors capable of withstanding mechanical interference while retaining reliable and strain-insensitive sensing performance. My lab will apply my research expertise to achieve continuous and real-time monitoring of biomarkers in human body fluids reliably under a dynamic environment and provide insight into user’s health state at molecular levels.

Theme B. Advanced manufacturing of next-generation wearable and implantable devices

To mitigate the risks of cross-contamination and infection, on-skin and implantable bioelectronic sensors must be designed for single use. Consequently, developing scalable and cost-efficient production methods for these disposable devices is crucial to reduce costs and promote widespread adoption. Presently, lithography, particularly e-beam and photolithography, along with thin-film deposition and etching, is the primary method for bioelectronic fabrication, yet it is resource-intensive and expensive. Furthermore, the creation and integration of multidisciplinary components in wearable technologies demand highly customized materials and design strategies. Therefore, it is desired to develop high-throughput manufacturing techniques that support the cost-effective and scalable production of soft bioelectronics. My research aims to leverage novel soft materials for mass-producing next-gen wearables and implantables, with a keen interest in laser scribing and solution-based printing methods, such as inkjet and extrusion printing. By adopting these advanced manufacturing techniques, my lab intends to streamline the production of soft bioelectronics, paving the way for the commercial success of wearable technologies.

Theme C. Self-powered multimodal biomedical devices

Wearable electronics are expected to play a crucial role in personalized healthcare as they continuously and closely monitor an individual’s physiological states, serving as predictive markers for various diseases. However, the reliance on traditional power sources like batteries poses challenges in terms of size, weight, and maintenance. To address these limitations, my research aims to i) explore novel self-powered solutions, focusing on harnessing ambient environmental energy sources such as humidity and triboelectric generation, ii) integrate various physical and chemical sensors to develop multimodal bioelectronic system, and (iii) explore their applications in mobile fitness tracking, medical diagnosis, and human-machine interfaces. My research will explore interdisciplinary approaches and encompass fundamental studies on energy harvesting mechanisms, device fabrication, and system integration to achieve self-powered multimodal biomedical devices.

Teaching Interests:

My journey in teaching began during a six-month part-time role instructing high school students. It was during this time that I experienced a profound sense of pride and fulfillment as an educator, igniting my love for teaching. Since then, I have actively sought out every opportunity to teach and continue to find joy in sharing knowledge and fostering learning experiences. With previous teaching experiences as a teaching assistant at the University of Missouri Columbia (Mizzou), encompassing a diverse array of courses including Chemical Engineering Design, Chemical Engineering Thermodynamics, Chemical Reaction Engineering, and Introduction to Chemical Engineering, I am well-equipped to engage students in rigorous academic inquiry and cultivate a supportive learning environment. After getting an independent position, I am interested in teaching basic courses in chemical engineering, materials sciences, chemistry, or laboratory courses. In addition, I also envision new courses on soft bioelectronics designed for advanced undergraduates and graduate students. This course will delve into the design, fabrication, and a broad spectrum of applications of bioelectronics in robotics, healthcare, and virtual and augmented reality.