Wei-Chuan Shih

Wei-Chuan Shih is a Professor in the Electrical and Computer Engineering Department at the University of Houston's Cullen College of Engineering, with joint appointments in Biomedical Engineering, Materials Science & Engineering, and Chemistry. He leads the Nanobiophotonics Group and serves as Associate Editor for OSA Optics Express and SPIE Journal of Nanophotonics. Dr. Shih's work bridges fundamental nanophotonics with practical applications in healthcare diagnostics and environmental monitoring.

Dr. Shih received his Ph.D. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). His research centers on developing new technologies for biomedicine and portable chemical/biological sensing. His core expertise includes nanobiophotonics, plasmonics, surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS), nanofabrication, optical imaging, microscopy, and spectroscopy. He works extensively on single nanoparticle analysis (exosomes, viruses), disease diagnosis through virtual biopsy, N/MEMS/microfluidics, lab-on-a-chip systems, and smartphone-based microscopy and sensing platforms.

Dr. Shih's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on plasmonic biosensing platforms, particularly using nanoporous gold structures. His work shows progression from fundamental plasmonic properties to practical applications in medical diagnostics and environmental monitoring. A significant trend is the development of smartphone-based sensing technologies for point-of-care applications, especially for heavy metal detection in water. His research increasingly integrates AI and machine learning with optical sensing techniques.

Dr. Shih has received numerous prestigious awards and honors including:

• NSF CAREER Award (2012)
• NASA Early Career Faculty Award (2012)
• UH Award of Excellence in Research and Scholarship (2013)
• UH Cullen College of Engineering Research Award (2015)
• UH Cullen College of Engineering Rising Innovator Award (2019)
• Fellow, SPIE
• Senior Member, OSA/IEEE
• Senior Member (inaugural class), National Academy of Inventors
• MIT Martin Fellowship for Sustainability (2005)

Dr. Shih has secured substantial research funding from multiple federal agencies including the NSF CAREER Award (2012-2018), NASA Early Career Faculty Award (2012-2016), NIH R21 (2014-2016), Department of Interior BSEE (2015-present), and NIH R01 EB-030623 (2021-2025). His research group has produced numerous PhD and Master's students who have co-authored many publications. Dr. Shih leads the Nanobiophotonics Group at the University of Houston, which maintains state-of-the-art facilities for nanofabrication, optical characterization, and biological testing. His team works at the intersection of nanotechnology, photonics, and biomedical engineering with strong collaborations across disciplines.