Yan Tong

Yan Tong is Thomas E. Hattrick Chair Professor in Computer Science and Engineering at the University of South Carolina's Molinaroli College of Engineering and Computing. Her research focuses on computer vision, pattern recognition, and human-computer interaction, with applications in affective computing, healthcare, and multi-robot systems.

Her research integrates computer vision with machine learning to solve problems in human behavior analysis and robotic perception. Key areas include facial action recognition, eye gaze tracking, and probabilistic graphical models for uncertainty management. Recent work extends to gait analysis systems combining wearable sensors and robotics for clinical applications.

Tong's publication trends show strong integration of deep learning with robotics, particularly in navigation systems, human-robot interaction, and biomedical engineering. Her research consistently bridges theoretical machine learning with practical applications in healthcare and assistive technologies.

She leads a substantial research group with 11 current PhD students and has graduated 6 PhDs. Professional service includes editorship of IEEE Robotics and Automation Magazine and leadership roles in major conferences including ICRA and IROS.