Qi Wang

Qi Wang

Associate Professor of Biomedical Engineering

Qi Wang is an Associate Professor in the Department of Biomedical Engineering at Columbia University, and is an affiliated member of Columbia Zuckerman Mind Brain Behavior Institute.

His research interest lies in developing novel neural technologies to restore or enhance brain functions. He has been working on cracking neural codes underlying our perception and cognition, and has been developing new strategies for selectively activating neural circuitry. 

Of particular interest to the Neural Engineering and Control Lab that Dr. Wang directs is to understand how sensory information is processed in the brain to form perception and inform an optimal decision, and how this process is modulated by behavioral states, such as attention and arousal. He utilizes experimental and theoretic approaches to tackle these questions. More specifically, his group uses large-scale single-unit electrophysiology, 2-photon calcium imaging, optogenetics, and patterned microstimulation, in concert with behavioral tasks, to investigate interactions between different brain regions during perceptual decision making. In collaboration with clinicians, his group is also developing a finite element modeling pipeline to optimize the effect of different modalities of brain stimulation using a patient’s own MRI scans.

Dr. Wang received his first PhD in Robotics from Harbin Institute of Technology and second PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering from McGill University in 1998 and 2006, respectively. He subsequently received postdoc training in neuroscience at Harvard University from 2006 to 2008.  He received numerous awards, including the NSF CAREER award in 2019, the IEEE EMBS Early Career Achievement in 2014, the NARSAD Young Investigator award in 2014, and the Best Paper Award at 14th IEEE Haptics Symposium in 2006.

Research Areas

  • Neuroengineering
  • Bioelectronics
  • Bioinstrumentation
  • Medical Devices and Systems
  • Brain-Machine Interfaces

Additional Information

  • Professional Affiliations
    • IEEE
    • Society of Neuroscience
  • Honors & Awards
    • NSF CAREER Award, NSF, 2019
    • Sackler Convergence Award. Raymond and Beverly Sackler Center for Convergence of Biomedical, Physical & Engineering Sciences, 2015.
    • Early Career Achievement Award, IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society (IEEE EMBS), 2014
    • Best Poster Award, Kavli Futures Symposium: The Novel Neurotechnologies, 2014
    • NARSAD Young Investigator Award, The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation, 2014
    • Best Paper Award, 14th IEEE Symposium on Haptic Interfaces for Virtual Environment and Tele-operator Systems (Haptic Symposium), 2006.
    • Eric L. Adler fellowship in Engineering, McGill University, 2004-2006
    • The Principal’s Student-Athlete Academic Honor Roll, McGill University, 2004-2006
    • Precarn Scholarship, Precarn Institute, Canada, 2003-2005
    • Outstanding Student Scholarship, Chinese Society for Electrical Engineering, 1990, 1992.
  • Professional Experience
    • Associate professor of biomedical engineering, Columbia University, 2020–
    • Secretary, biomedical engineering, Columbia University, 2020–2023
    • Assistant professor of biomedical engineering, Columbia University, 2013–2020
    • Research Scientist of biomedical engineering, Georgia Tech/Emory University, 2008-2012
  • Education
    • PhD, Electrical and Computer Engineering, McGill University
    • PhD, Robotics, Harbin Institute of Technology
    • MS, Robotics, Harbin Institute of Technology
    • BS, Mechanical Engineering, North China University of Electric Power