/College of Engineering and Applied Sciences
Department of Mechanical Engineering

Shanshan Yao, PhD

Shanshan YaoAssistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering

Office: Light Engineering 161

Email Address: shanshan.yao@stonybrook.edu 

Phone Number: (631) 632-9164 

Lab Website:  Yao Research Group 

Bio:

Shanshan Yao joined the Mechanical Engineering Faculty at Stony Brook University in 2020. Her research interests and contributions span the broad areas of design and manufacturing, with particular emphasis on bio-integrated systems, soft actuators, haptic interfaces, and manufacturing and integration techniques for soft electronics and robotics. Her research aims to provide transformative solutions and capabilities in healthcare, activity tracking, rehabilitation, soft robotics, and human-machine interactions. These innovations are made possible through the synergistic integration of mechanical design, functional materials, smart structures, and advanced integration techniques.

Dr. Yao is the recipient of the National Academy of Inventors Stony Brook University Chapter Young Academic Inventors Award, the Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) award, the Stony Brook Trustees Faculty Award, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award. She currently serves as the Vice Chair of the Electronic Materials Technical Committee of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Additionally, she serves on multiple journal editorial boards (e.g., Scientific Reports and Biosensors). She is also actively involved in organizing symposia for international conferences (including the Materials Research Society (MRS), the Society of Engineering Science (SES), and the International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE).


Education:

  • North Carolina State University, Mechanical Engineering, Ph.D. 2016
  • Xi’an Jiaotong University, Microelectronics & Solid-State Electronics, M.E. 2012
  • Xi’an Jiaotong University, Electronic Science and Technology, B.E. 2009

 

Professional Experience:

  • Associate Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, 2026 – Present
  • Assistant Professor, Mechanical Engineering, Stony Brook University, 2020 – 2026
  • Postdoctoral Research Scholar, Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina State University, 2017-2019

Awards & Publications:

  • Young Academic Inventors Award, National Academy of Inventors Stony Brook University Chapter, 2026
  • Defense University Research Instrumentation Program (DURIP) award as the co-principal investigator, 2025
  • Stony Brook Trustees Faculty Award, Stony Brook Foundation, 2024
  • Best Poster Award Nominee, Materials Research Society (MRS) Fall Meeting & Exhibit, 2024, 2025
  • NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) award, 2023
  • Stanford/Elsevier’s Top 2% Scientists List
  • Annual Postdoctoral Research Symposium College of Engineering Notable Poster Award, NC State University, 2017
  • Most Research Impact Award, ASSIST Center, 2016
  • Micro/Nano Forum Best Poster Award, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2015
  • Haythornthwaite Foundation Student Travel Award, ASME, 2015
  • Outstanding Graduate Student, Undergraduate Student, and Senior Design Project (Thesis), Xi’an Jiaotong University, 2012 and 2009
  • National Scholarship, Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China, 2007

 

For a full list of Dr. Yao's publications, visit her Google Scholar Page. 


Professional Memberships & Service:

  • Vice Chair (2025 – Present) and Secretary (2023 – 2025), Electronic Materials Technical Committee (Materials Division of American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME))
  • Mini-Symposia Organizer and Session Co-Chair, Society of Engineering Science (SES) Technical Meeting, 2025 – Present
  • Mini-Symposia Organizer and Session Chair, Materials Research Society (MRS) Spring Meeting & Exhibit, 2024 – Present
  • Mini-Symposia Co-Organizer and Session Co-Chair, International Mechanical Engineering Congress & Exposition (IMECE), 2023 – Present
  • Founding Editorial Board Member, Scientific Reviews, 2026 – Present
  • Associate Editor, Frontiers in AI and Robotics and Frontiers in Medical Technology, 2025 – Present
  • Associate Editor, Frontiers in Materials, 2022 – Present
  • Editorial Board Member and Guest Editor, Scientific Reports, 2021 – Present
  • Editorial Board Member, Convergence Journal, 2024 – 2026
  • Guest Editor, Biosensors, 2023 – 2024
  • Guest Editor and Topic Advisory Panel Member, Micromachines, 2020 – 2022
  • Reviewer, Thrasher Research Fund, 2025
  • Reviewer, Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF), 2023
  • Reviewer and Panelist, National Science Foundation (NSF), 2021 – Present
  • Reviewer for more than 50 journals, including Nature, Science Advances, Matter, ACS Nano, Advanced Materials, and Nature Communications

Overview:

Dr. Shanshan Yao’s research leverages functional materials, smart structures, and advanced manufacturing to enable new functions and performance enhancements in bio-integrated systems and soft robotics. Her research group has established extensive expertise in the following areas:

 

  1. Soft Epidermal and Implantable Sensors for Health Monitoring, Activity Tracking, and Environmental Perception: A primary research focus of her group is developing epidermal and implantable sensors that conformally interface with soft, curvilinear surfaces while gathering high-fidelity health and environmental information. Her group has designed a suite of bio-integrated sensing systems for health monitoring, activity tracking, and environmental perception.

 

  1. Multimodal Skin-Attachable Haptic Interfaces for Mechano- and Thermo-Haptic Feedback: As another focus of her research, her group develops haptic interfaces that provide touch sensation and haptic feedback to users. Her group develops skin-attachable mechano- and thermo- haptic interfaces that match the functional and mechanical characteristics of human skin.

 

  1. Soft Actuators and Integrated Platforms for Bioelectronic Systems and Soft Robotics: Another core focus of her research involves developing soft actuators and integrated platforms for bioelectronic applications and soft robotics, with a particular emphasis on untethered actuators and wireless power transfer devices.

Highlights & Accomplishments:

  • Developed unobtrusive silent speech interfaces based on biopotential or body movements
  • Developed skin-soft multimodal mechano- and thermo- haptic interfaces
  • Designed epidermal/implantable sensors, soft robots, and wireless power transfer for bio-integrated systems

Research Areas:

 

Research Interests:

  • Bio-Integrated and bio-inspired soft electronics for health monitoring, motion tracking, assistive and rehabilitation technologies,  and human-machine interfaces
  • Multimodal haptic interfaces for human-machine interactions
  • Smart materials and structures for soft actuators and soft robotics
  • Manufacturing and integration techniques for smart systems