Xin Zhang (professor)

Xin Zhang is a professor of mechanical engineering, electrical & computer engineering, biomedical engineering, materials science & engineering, and the Photonics Center at Boston University (BU). [1] She also serves as associate director of the Boston University Nanotechnology Innovation Center and director of both the National Science Foundation (NSF) Research Experiences for Undergraduates (REU) Site and the NSF Research Experiences for Teachers (RET) Site in Integrated Nanomanufacturing at Boston University. She received her Ph.D. from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST) in mechanical engineering. Prior to joining BU, she was a postdoctoral researcher and then a research scientist with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). Her research interests are in the broad areas of metamaterial and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS or microsystems). Dr. Zhang is an elected fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), American Physical Society (APS), American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), National Academy of Inventors (NAI), and The Optical Society (OSA), and associate fellow of American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] [7] [8] [9]

In 2016, she was selected as the recipient of the IEEE Sensors Council Technical Achievement Award (advanced career) for distinguished contributions to sensors and sensing technologies. [10] In 2018, she was selected as the recipient of the Charles DeLisi Award and Distinguished Lecture, an honor recognizing faculty at Boston University who has made outstanding contributions to engineering and society. [11] [12] In 2018, her translational research has earned her Innovator of the Year Award, bestowed annually by Boston University on a faculty member who "translates his/her world-class research into inventions and innovations that benefit humankind." [13] In 2019, she won the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) Innovation Award (Emerging Technology Design) in recognition of her work on magnetic metamaterial for improving MRI performance. "The award celebrates the most pioneering engineering and technology innovations from energy and sustainability to transport and healthcare." [14] [15] In 2019, she was named Fellow of National Academy of Inventors. "Election to NAI Fellow status is the highest professional distinction accorded to academic inventors who have demonstrated a prolific spirit of innovation in creating or facilitating outstanding inventions that have made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society." [16] [17] In 2020, she became the Finalist of IET Achievement Medal, "who has made major and distinguished contributions in the various sectors of engineering and technology." [18] In 2020, she became Invented Here! Honoree, chosen by Boston Patent Law Association for the patent entitled "Apparatus for improving magnetic resonance imaging." [19]

In 2019, Dr. Zhang's groundbreaking work on metamaterial, both acoustic metamaterial that enables highly efficient, air-permeable sound silencing and noise reduction and magnetic metamaterial that markedly boosts MRI signal-to-noise ratio and thus significantly improves the performance of MRI, has drawn significant worldwide interest from the scientific community and industry, with the stories having been picked up by 200+ media outlets.[20][21][22]