Yuan Yang

Yuan Yang is an Associate Professor at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) in the Department of Bioengineering and an adjunct Associate Professor at Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. He also holds a part-time role as Associate Professor at Carle Foundation Hospital. His research focuses on neural engineering, neurorehabilitation, and biomedical imaging, particularly in stroke recovery and Alzheimer's disease biomarkers. Yang leads the Illinois-Carle Joint Neural Engineering and Rehabilitation Laboratory (JNERL), collaborating on innovative solutions for neurological conditions using advanced imaging and neurotechnology.

Education: PhD in Signal and Images from Telecom ParisTech (2013), MS in Biomedical Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (2010), and BS from Central South University (2008). He has held faculty positions at UIUC, the University of Oklahoma, and Northwestern University since 2017.

Research interests include cortical connectivity, non-invasive brain stimulation (e.g., HD-tDCS), functional MRI analysis, and electrophysiological signal processing. His work bridges engineering and clinical applications, addressing motor impairment in stroke and cognitive decline in Alzheimer's.

Key contributions include studies on sex differences in brain connectivity and neuroplasticity, as well as developing targeted interventions using EEG and neuroimaging. Yang has received prestigious awards such as the NSF CAREER Award and serves as an IEEE Distinguished Lecturer.

Professional service includes roles in grant review for NIH, AHA, and international bodies, along with editorial positions in major journals like Frontiers in Neuroscience and Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing.