Professor Tianhong Cui is a leading expert on MEMS/NEMS and advanced manufacturing, investigating micro and nano devices using nanomaterials and polymers for new sensors and actuators for medical and environmental applications.

He is currently a Distinguished McKnight University Professor at the University of Minnesota, where he holds various positions as Director of the Technology Integration and Advanced Nano/microsystems Laboratory, Professor in Mechanical Engineering, and Affiliate Senior Member of the graduate faculty in the Departments of Electrical Engineering and of Biomedical Engineering. Throughout his career Professor Cui has founded several scientific journals, has published over 360 papers, and held many prestigious Fellowships worldwide.

Professor Cui will be collaborating with the Department for Health and the Faculty of Engineering, specifically Chemical Engineering and Electronic and Electrical Engineering. MEMS devices enable the miniaturisation of biological parameter acquisition with a data-driven, digital approach: a technology that can not only radically change the way healthcare is delivered, but also has many applications in the field of sustainability. With both healthcare technologies and sustainability being two strategic research priorities of the University of Bath, Professor Cui’s contribution will be of great value and continue to build on Bath’s leading international research outputs.

Professor Cui's time as Global Chair will come to an end in May 2023 as he will taken up a new part-time appointment at the University within the Faculty of Engineering from 1st June 2023. We look forward to welcoming Professor Cui as a member of staff and hope that he will be able to continue the brilliant work he has done as a Global Chair in this new role.

On Professor Cui's term as a Global Chair, Dr Despina Moschou said:

“Prof Cui has provided us with a unique insight on the current state-of-the-art in microsystems for healthcare and environmental applications and also gained first-hand insight on the unique capabilities and expertise Bath has to offer in the area of digital health. Several US-UK grant applications are already in the preparation phase aiming to solidify this collaboration and produce internationally leading outcomes for the benefit of society within the next few years.”

On his time as a Global Chair and new appointment at Bath, Professor Cui said:

"The Global Chair Program provides me with a unique opportunity to have academic exchanges and to establish research collaborations with the University of Bath, the highly ranked university in the UK. I very much appreciate the International Partnerships Officers, all the administrators, and my host that have been supporting me through the Global Chair Program. I enjoyed very productive discussions and had highly successful initializations on some potential research projects with colleagues at Bath including Dr. Moschou and many others. In addition, as an outcome, I extend my formal engagement as a part-time professor in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering and Design the University of Bath for the next five years."

Activities at Bath

• A public lecture provided by Prof Cui on MEMS and nanomanufacturing for healthcare and environment applications
• Workshop on Nature publishing group and advice on setting up new journal
• US-UK collaborative grant application preparation (EPSRC-NSF)