Nanyin Zhang

Nanyin Zhang is the Hartz Family Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Pennsylvania State University’s College of Engineering. His research focuses on neuroimaging, functional connectivity, and brain network analysis using rodent models, particularly awake rats. He leads projects on neurovascular coupling, psychiatric disorders development, and environmental impacts on neural circuitry.

• Recipient of a $2.9M grant (2025) to study adolescent binge drinking’s long-term effects
• $4M grant (2024) for enhancing robotic prostheses’ biological realism
• Contributor to advancements in resting-state fMRI and optogenetic techniques

His recent work explores sex-specific neural signatures, consciousness transitions, and multi-modal imaging systems. He has authored studies on neuropharmacology, neural coherence, and electrophysiological consequences of brain manipulations.