Hong Kong University of Science and Technology

Prof. Zhengbao YANG

BEng(HIT), PhD(UToronto), SrMIEEE(USA)

zbyang@ust.hk

Prof. Yang earned his bachelor’s degree from the Harbin Institute of Technology and completed his Ph.D. at the University of Toronto in 2016. He is currently an associate professor in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, where he also serves as the director of the Smart Transducers and Vibration Laboratory (STVL). Prof. Yang is an IEEE Senior Member and has been recognized as one of the “Top 2% Scientists in the World” by Stanford University. His research interests encompass Smart Materials and Mechatronics, with a particular emphasis on the development of piezoelectric materials, energy harvesters, and wireless sensor systems. Prof. Yang has applied for 24 patents in China and the USA and has authored over 130 academic articles in high-impact journals, including 15 papers in the Nature and Science series over the past five years. Under his leadership, the STVL lab has graduated 11 PhD students, 6 postdoctoral researchers, and more than 30 MSc students, some of whom have received recognition from the China Overseas Talent Scheme or have joined top high-tech companies worldwide. More information can be found at Google Scholar . He is serving as Editor of academic journals:  "Sensors", "Smart Materials and Structures", and "IEEE/ASME Transactions on Mechatronics".

Xuemu LI

Postdoctoral Fellow

mexuemul@ust.hk

Xuemu Li recevied his Ph.D. degree from the Shandong University in 2021.He is now a postdoc fellow at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology,affiliated with the department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering.He is interested in advanced manufacturing,sensing and energy harvesting.Outside the lab,he plays basketball,ping-pong ball and enjoys spending time in library.He is the 2023 STVL basketball game MVP.Originally from Shandong,Xuemu's favorite food is dumpling.

Xiaodong YAN

Postdoctoral Fellow

mexiaodongy@ust.hk

Xiaodong Yan received his bachelor's degree in inorganic non-metallic materials engineering from the North University of China in 2014, and doctoral degree in materials science and engineering from the Beijing University of Technology in 2021. Hereafter, he joined the STVL as a postdoc. His research interests include the lead-free piezoelectric ceramic, polymer film and their applications in energy harvester, ultrasonic transducer and actuator. In his spare time, he enjoys hiking, climbing and badminton.

Qiqi PAN

Postdoctoral Fellow

meqiqip@ust.hk

Qiqi Pan holds an M.Sc. degree in power engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China (2020), and a Ph.D. degree in mechanical engineering from City University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, SAR, China (2023). His research interests encompass wearable electronics, energy harvesting, and human locomotion. Apart from academia, he enjoys weight training, hiking, and cooking.

Zhaozheng WANG

Postdoctoral Fellow

zz.wang@ust.hk

Zhaozheng Wang recevied his Ph.D. degree from the University of Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2024. He is now a postdoc fellow at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, affiliated with the department of Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering. His research interests include tribovoltaic effect, energy harvesting and self-powered sensing. In his spare time, he enjoys playing football and listening to music.

Pengyu LI

Postdoctoral Fellow

mepengyul@ust.hk

Pengyu LI received his BS degree in Mechanical Design and Manufacturing and Automation from Shenzhen University in 2018 and MS degree and PhD degree in Mechanical Engineering from City University of Hongkong in 2019, and in 2024, respectivley. He is now working on RF energy harvesting.

Weikang LIN

Postdoctoral Fellow

weiklin2-c@my.cityu.edu.hk

Weikang Lin received his Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Design Manufacturing and Automation from Fuzhou University in 2018, and Master degree from the Harbin Institute of Technology (Shenzhen) in 2020, and PhD from City University of Hong Kong in 2025. His research interests include flexible piezoelectric materials, sensors and medical devices.

Shirley Xiaodan YANG

Postdoctoral Fellow

xdyang8-c@my.cityu.edu.hk

Shirley has a multidisciplinary background working across the fields of Electrochemistry, Materials Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Her research interests include the synthesis of porous materials for energy storage, as well as their mass transfer mechanism. Now, she mainly focuses on design and fabrication porous piezoceramics and piezoionics hydrogel. Outside of lab, she enjoys cooking meals. She also invites friends over and cook for them on holiday.

Chen JIAO

Postdoctoral Fellow

jiaochen@nuaa.edu.cn

Chen Jiao was born in 1994. He received his BS, MS and PhD degree in mechanical engineering from Nanjing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics in 2016, 2019 and 2024, respectively. Before joining the STVL lab, he conducted postdoctoral research at the University of Hong Kong. His research interests include 3D printing of ceramics and bio-inspired structural design methods. In his spare time, he enjoys playing basketball and cooking.

Yuanyi WANG

Lab Manager

PhD Student

ywangsz@connect.ust.hk

Yuanyi WANG received his BS degree in Vehicle Engineering from Wuhan University of Science and Technology in 2020, and his MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from City University of Hong Kong in 2021. His research interests include piezoelectric devices, wireless power transfer, and antennas. Sports, movies, and food are his favorites. His footprints cover most of the mountains in Hong Kong.

Yi ZHENG

PhD Student

yzheng254-c@my.cityu.edu.hk

ZHENG Yi received his B.Eng. and M.Eng. degrees in the School of Naval Architecture at Dalian University of Technology (DUT) in 2015 and 2018 separately. Before joining STVL, he was an acoustic algorithm engineer at HUAWEI and a research assistant at Hong Kong PolyU. ZHENG Yi is currently pursuing a Ph. D. degree in STVL with research interests focused on ultrasonic wireless energy harvesting (UWEH), acoustic sensors and acoustic metamaterials(AMMs).

Yuze YANG

PhD Student

yyangcx@connect.ust.hk

Yuze YANG is an Analog/Mixed-Signal IC Design Engineer focused on advancing next-generation sensor technologies. She earned a BS in Applied Physics from Nanjing Tech University in 2018. Further developed mixed-signal and sensor application skills through an MS in IC Design from HKUST in 2019. Her interested research field will be high-performance accelerometers sensor design. She seeks opportunities to directly impact new product roadmaps. She is passionate about innovating MEMS devices and integration to enable future applications.

Riran LIANG

PhD Student

rliangaj@connect.ust.hk

Riran Liang completed his undergraduate studies in Polymer Materials and Engineering at Beijing University of Chemical Technology in 2021, and obtained his master's degree in Materials Engineering from the National University of Defense Technology in December 2023. With a strong passion for the field, Liang's research interests lie in the exciting realm of piezoelectric materials and devices. His work focuses on exploring the unique properties of these materials and developing innovative applications for them.

Zhenqi WANG

PhD Student

zwangls@connect.ust.hk

Wang Zhenqi is currently a PhD student at STVL. His research interests include piezoelectric materials, Porous Films and Filtration Technology. Outside of the lab, Zhenqi is a digital fan, tracking all the latest gadgets. He joined school Chinese orchestra and learned how to play the sheng, a traditional Chinese instrument during his undergraduate study.

Kexin ZHANG

PhD Student

kx.zhang@connect.ust.hk

Kexin ZHANG received her BS degree in Vehicle Engineering from Beijing Forestry University in 2021, and her MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Tsinghua University in 2024. She focuses her research on the mechanism and fabrication of piezoelectric biomaterials. In her free time, she enjoys yoga, running, and playing badminton.

Dekuan ZHU

PhD Student

dk.zhu@connect.ust.hk

DeKuan Zhu earned his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Northwest A&F University in 2020 and M.Eng. in Electronic and Information Engineering from Tsinghua University in 2023. He is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in STVL. In his spare time, he enjoys swimming, fitness, and photography.

Michael Mak

MPhil. Student

kymmak@connect.ust.hk

Michael Mak received his Bachelor’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering from City University of Hong Kong in 2022. Alongside his academic achievements, Michael Mak possesses approximately 2 years of hands-on experience in the mechanical industry, specializing in sensors, mechanical design, and programming. Currently, Michael Mak is dedicated to pursuing his MPhil. Degree in Mechanical Engineering in the STVL Lab, where his research interests involve piezoelectric energy harvesting and ultrasonic energy harvesting.

Zixuan LI

PhD Student

zliiw@connect.ust.hk

Zixuan LI received his BS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Northeastern University in 2023 and MS degree in Mechanical Engineering from Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2024. His research interests include wireless power transferring and medical devices. He is also a Linux enthusiast and hopes his work will one day make the world a better place.