, an assistant professor in the University of 麻豆传媒 at Mānoa , has received the Career Development Award from the to advance medical research and technology for vascular and heart health. The three-year, $230,727 award supports promising early-career investigators working on innovative solutions in cardiovascular and related biomedical research.
“I am very honored to receive this award,” Wang said. “This support allows us to explore bold ideas that could change how we approach medical treatment inside the human body, while building a strong network of collaborators who bring different expertise to the table. It’蝉 a great opportunity to train the next generation of engineers and create technologies that could one day make procedures safer and less invasive.”
Wang’蝉 project focuses on developing miniature soft robotics combined with artificial intelligence to create new medical devices that can navigate hard-to-reach areas of the body and enhance the function of cardiovascular and neurovascular systems. The work builds on Wang’蝉 previous research on soft robotics inspired by diverse marine life. By studying how small aquatic animals move efficiently through complex environments, his team designs flexible robots that can safely operate in delicate spaces, such as inside the human body.
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The award also supports collaboration and mentorship with scientists from UH Mānoa’蝉 , The Queen’蝉 Medical Center, and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. These partnerships aim to strengthen research and expand real-world applications of miniature soft robotics in healthcare.
Wang also serves as an adjunct assistant professor at The Queen’蝉 Medical Center and a cooperating faculty in UH Mānoa’蝉 .
The project highlights UH Mānoa’蝉 growing role in robotics and biomedical engineering, with a focus on developing technologies that can improve patient care and address complex health challenges such as sudden cardiac arrest.