Prof. Zhao will be presenting his talk today at 9:30 am in DCC1 Room 201/202 (Main Hall).
Prof. Zhao is a professor of mechanical engineering and civil and environmental engineering at MIT. The Zhao Lab at MIT is working to advance science and technology between humans and machines to address grand societal challenges in health and sustainability with integrated expertise in mechanics, materials and biotechnology.
"Merging humans and machines is of imminent importance in addressing grand society challenges,” said Prof. Zhao. "However, merging humans and machines is extremely challenging due to their fundamentally contradictory properties.”
In this keynote, Prof. Zhao will explore two groundbreaking technologies at the intersection of medical imaging, robotics, and AI. The first is a bioadhesive ultrasound device capable of continuously imaging various human organs for up to 48 hours, enabling long-term, real-time monitoring in a wearable form. The second is a soft neurovascular robot designed for remote, x-ray-guided stroke intervention, offering rapid treatment without the need for on-site specialists.
Prof. Zhao will conclude by outlining a forward-looking vision of human-machine convergence, powered by emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, and precision medicine.
"It is a pleasure to be one of the keynote speakers at MICCAI 2025”, said Prof. Zhao. "I look forward to sharing how AI and medical imaging can greatly advance personal medicine.”
Xuanhe Zhao is the Uncas and Helen Whitaker Professor at MIT. The mission of the Zhao Lab is to advance science and technology between humans and machines to address grand societal challenges in health and sustainability. Prof. Zhao is a fellow of the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, a Humboldt Research Award winner, and has been a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher since 2018. He co-founded three startup companies based on technologies developed in the Zhao Lab. Bioadhesive ultrasound, based on the Zhao Lab's work published in Science, was named on of TIME Magazine's Best Inventions of the year in 2022. SanaHeal Inc., based on the Zhao Lab's work published in Nature, was awarded the 2023 Nature Spinoff Prize. Over 15 patents from the Zhao Lab have been licensed by companies and have contributed to FDA-approved and widely used medical devices globally.
Prof. Zhao earned a bachelor's degree in engineering from Tianjin University, a master's degree in science from the University of British Columbia and both a second master's degree and Ph.D. from Harvard University.