Xin Zhang, PhD Distinguished Professor of Engineering (ME, ECE, BME, MSE)
Education PhD, Hong Kong University of Science and TechnologyPrimary Appointment Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering
In the News
October 9, 2025
Time magazine has named Distinguished Professor Xin Zhang's (ME, ECE, BME, MSE) wireless MRI Coils to its list of the “Best Inventions of 2025.” [ More ]
October 3, 2025
The engineering professors' inventions made the 2025 Fast Company list. [ More ]
July 31, 2025
The breakthrough was made possible through the use of phase-gradient metamaterials. [ More ]
Areas of Interest Metamaterials, microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), novel micro-and nanotechnologies for power generation, energy conversion, photonic, optical, and biomedical applications
Publications
Research Areas Prof. Xin Zhang’s research is generally focused on the development of metamaterials and microelectromechanical systems (MEMS or microsystems), from their fundamental physics and mathematical underpinnings, their design and development, through to their use in real world applications. Three distinct research themes and applications areas are represented by her recent work, namely metamaterials and microsystems: 1. with tunable and nonlinear responses for photonic and optical applications, 2. for clinical medical imaging technologies, and 3. for acoustic silencing and noise reduction.
Honors and Awards -ASME Thomas A. Edison Patent Award, 2025
-TIME’s Best Inventions Honoree, 2025
-Fast Company World Changing Ideas Awards Honoree, 2025
-Global Good Awards — Game Changing Innovation of the Year Award, 2025
-Fast Company Innovation by Design Awards Honoree, 2024
-Finalist of the Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year, 2024
-ASME Robert Henry Thurston Lecture Award, 2024
-Member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, 2023
-Finalist of IET Excellence and Innovation Awards – International Award, 2023
-Sigma Xi Walston Chubb Award, 2023
-Finalist of the Falling Walls Science Breakthroughs of the Year, 2023
-IEEE EMBS Technical Achievement Award, 2023
-ASME Per Bruel Gold Medal, 2023
-STAT Madness All-Star Award, 2023
-Finalist of E&T Innovation Award on Chief Engineer of the Year, 2022
-Guggenheim Fellowship, 2022
-Distinguished Professor of Engineering, Boston University, 2022
-Rajen Kilachand Fund for Life Sciences and Engineering, 2021
-Finalist of E&T Innovation Award on Digital Health and Social Care, 2021
-Finalist of E&T Innovation Award on Tech for Good, 2021
-Invented Here! Honoree, Boston Patent Law Association, 2021
-Finalist of IET Achievement Medal, 2020
-Invented Here! Honoree, Boston Patent Law Association, 2020
-Finalist of E&T Innovation Award on Excellence in R&D, 2020
-Fellow of National Academy of Inventors, 2019
-IET Innovation Award on Emerging Technology Design, 2019
-Fellow of APS (American Physical Society), 2019
-Boston University Innovator of the Year, 2018
-Charles DeLisi Award and Distinguished Lecture, 2018
-Fellow of IEEE (Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers), 2017
-Associate Fellow of AIAA (American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics), 2017
-Fellow of AAAS (American Association for the Advancement of Science), 2016
-IEEE Sensors Council Technical Achievement Award (Advanced Career), 2016
-Fellow of AIMBE (American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering), 2016
-Fellow of Optica, 2016
-Fellow of ASME (American Society of Mechanical Engineers), 2015
Additional Affiliations Division of Materials Science & Engineering
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering
Department of Biomedical Engineering
Photonics Center
View all profiles