Principal Investigator

Prof. Yang Zhao

Yang Zhao is an assistant professor in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. Yang received her Ph.D. in electrical and computer engineering at the University of Texas, Austin working with Professor Andrea Alu. Following her Ph.D. studies, she worked with Professor Jennifer Dionne as a postdoctoral fellow at Stanford University, Department of Materials Science. Yang’s research focuses on bionanophotonics: inspired by nature, her team develops biomimetic metamaterials and devices to manipulate electromagnetic and acoustic waves; her team are also passionate about using light and sound to image, sense, and manipulate molecules and molecular interactions.

Current Group Members

Henry (Hanwei) Wang

Henry received his bachelor’s degree in physics at Tsinghua University. He is now pursuing his Ph.D. degree in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He is interested in applying nanophotonics to biomedical imaging. Outside lab, Henry is an avid world traveler.

Shensheng Zhao

Shensheng is a Ph.D. student in the ECE Department at the University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign. He received his B.S. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China. Outside the lab, Shensheng enjoys swimming and playing table tennis. Shensheng is co-advised by Prof. Yun-Sheng Chen. 

Gayatri Pushpita Chandran

Gayatri received her bachelor's degree from the College of Engineering Trivandrum in 2018 and worked as a research fellow in microscopy and instrumentation at the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, Hyderabad. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering at UIUC. Gayatri is passionate about biological imaging technology. Outside the lab, she enjoys music and nature.

Xiaodong Ye

Xiaodong is a master's student in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. He received his B.Eng. degree from the University of Liverpool, UK and the Xi’an Jiaotong-Liverpool University, China, majoring in Electrical and Electronics. He is interested in applying novel metamaterial and metasurface concepts to wireless power transfer.

Joshua Yu

Joshua is a senior studying Electrical Engineering. He is interested in RF, Microwave, and Optical engineering projects. In his spare time, Joshua enjoys playing hockey and spending time outdoors.

Didun Oladeji

Didun is a junior studying Mechanical Engineering with a proposed minor in Materials Science and Engineering. Her research interests include nanotechnology, biophotonics, as well as energy and sustainability. On campus, she is majorly involved in the Women in Mechanical Science and Engineering Organization. 

Melanie Martinovic

Melanie is a junior studying psychology with a concentration in cognitive neuroscience, with a proposed minor in bioengineering. Her research interests include subjects such as the integration of biotechnology for medical purposes, neurophotonics, and neuroaugmentation. In everyday life, Melanie enjoys painting and playing tennis. 

Binh-Minh Nguyen

Binh-Minh is a sophomore studying Computer Engineering. He is interested in biomedical devices and embedded systems. In his spare time, he enjoys rock climbing and cooking with friends.

Jiho Choi

Jiho is a sophomore studying Electrical Engineering with a proposed minor in Computer Science. Her research interests include microelectronics, RF, and robotics/ autonomous systems. In her free time, she loves to dance and play badminton.

   

Alumni

 

Undergraduate Students

Arkajit Dutta

Sean Yao (now in University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA, Graduate School)

Kevin Tung (now in Columbia University, USA, Graduate School)

Yifu Guo (now in University of Michigan, USA, Graduate School)

Jonathan Hartanto (now in Stanford University, USA, Graduate School)

Christine Wu (now in University of Washington, Seatle, USA, Graduate School)

Jason Pan

Thomas Kmeciak (now in Sandia National Lab)

Luren Wang (now at the University of Pennsylvania, USA, Graduate School)

Ruike Yan (now at EPFL, Switzerland, Graduate School)

YiChi Zhang (now at Northwestern University, USA, Graduate School)

Kai Zhang (now at ETH Zurich, Switzerland, Graduate School)

Ziyu Xiao (now at Georgia Tech, USA, Graduate School)