Ying Diao

Ying Diao is a Professor at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, holding positions in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Materials Science and Engineering, Chemistry, and the Materials Research Lab. She also serves as Theme Lead at the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. Her research focuses on materials science, organic electronics, polymer science, and their applications in energy, nanotechnology, and wearable devices.

Key research interests include conjugated polymers, structural color, organic solar cells, and flexible electronics. She has pioneered studies on solution-processing techniques for advanced materials and their integration into functional devices. Her work bridges fundamental material assembly principles with scalable manufacturing methods.

Recent articles highlight innovations in organic solar cell efficiency, bottlebrush block copolymer design, and wearable sensors for plant growth monitoring. Her research emphasizes the interplay between molecular design, self-assembly, and device performance.

Awarded the Allan P. Colburn Award (2024), MIT 'Innovators Under 35' (2016), and NSF CAREER Award (2019), Diao's work has been recognized for advancing renewable energy and materials innovation. Her lab collaborates widely, addressing challenges in sustainable energy, flexible electronics, and biointegrated systems.