The University of Bath is delighted to announce the appointment of four new Global Chairs for the academic year 2022-23.

The distinguished international visiting professors from Hong Kong, Canada, Greece and the US will be joining Bath to build high-profile research collaborations and to enhance our strategic networks with universities and research institutes overseas.

Professor Chuyang Tang

University of Hong Kong

As the world-leading expert with more than two decades of research and industrial experience in his field, Professor Chuyang Tang is highly respected for his work focused on environmental engineering, membrane technology, desalination and water reuse. Professor Tang’s research is highly regarded, and he has won many prestigious awards such as Clarivate Highly Cited Researchers (Cross-Field) and is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry. His work has been cited more than 20,655 times and he is the inventor of 15 international patents, including one that has led to the successful commercialization of Aquaporin Inside Membranes (AIMs®) by Aquaporin Asia Singapore, a promising desalination technology.

Professor Tang will be hosted by Dr Ming Xie and Professor John Chew in the Department of Engineering. Dr Xie and Professor Chew said:

We are thrilled to host Professor Tang as a Global Chair at Bath. He is a world-renowned environmental engineer, who is internationally recognised for his research addressing the grand challenges in the water-energy-resource nexus. His research is truly ground-breaking and has shaped our modern state in the field of desalination, water reuse and resource recovery. Professor Tang is an inspirational role model and mentor for next-generation academics. His affiliation will unlock tremendous opportunities in the frontiers of engineering, interdisciplinary collaborations at Bath, support our ambitious research goals, and facilitate institutional partnership with The University of Hong Kong. We are very excited about Professor Tang’s appointment and look forward to working together to create innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges.

Professor Tianhong Cui

University of Minnesota

As a Distinguished McKnight Professor and internationally recognised leader in his field, Professor Tianhong Cui is the Director of Technology Integration and Advanced Nano/microsystems Laboratory at the University of Minnesota. Professor Cui is the founding Executive Editor-in-Chief for the first engineering journal of Nature Publishing Group Microsystems & Nanoengineering, for which he is Co-Editor-in-Chief with Professor Ian White the Vice-Chancellor and President here at the University of Bath. He is also an Editor-in-Chief for the first AAAS/Science Partner Journal, Research. His current scholarship focuses on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems for application to healthcare and the environment, which aligns perfectly with the University of Bath’s themes of healthcare, sustainability and wellbeing.

Professor Cui will be hosted by the Department of Electronic & Electrical Engineering. Dr Despina Moschou and Head of Department Professor Adrian Evans said:

Professor Tianhong Cui is internationally recognised for his world-leading research in Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) for healthcare and environmental applications. His appointment as a Global Chair will be a catalyst for new multidisciplinary projects in Electronic and Electrical Engineering and across campus. His visit will include workshops, networking events and lectures. We are honoured to host Professor Cui as a Global Chair.

Professor Carolyn Ann Emery

University of Calgary

Professor Carolyn Emery is an epidemiologist and physiotherapist internationally recognised in her field. As the most highly published author over the past 30 years on youth sports injury, her scholarship has a strong focus on the prevention of youth sports-related injuries and their consequences. Her research has had an impact on public health globally and has affected policy and practice in the prevention of injuries and concussions internationally.

Professor Emery is the Chair of the Sports Injury Prevention Research Centre which is one of 11 IOC Research Centres in Injury Prevention & Protection of Athlete Health worldwide. She also co-leads the Integrated Concussion Research Program at the University of Calgary and holds a Canada Research Chair in Concussion (2020-2027). In 2022 Professor Emery was nominated for the Royal Society of Canada Fellowship.

Professor Keith Stokes, Director of the Centre for Health and Injury and Illness Prevention in Sport said:

Professor Emery is internationally recognised as a leader in research into the prevention of youth sports injuries, and her research has had significant impacts on policy and practice around the World. We are delighted to be hosting Professor Emery as a Global Chair at Bath. Her visit will foster transdisciplinary collaborations locally, nationally and internationally, as well as provide opportunities to enhance the impact of our research on policy and practice in the prevention of sports-related injuries. Activities during Dr Emery’s visit will include a key focus on mentorship of the next generation of research leaders within the Department for Health and across the University.

Professor Konstantina Nikita

National Technical University of Athens (NTUA)

A pioneer in cross-disciplinary research in Engineering and Medicine, Professor Konstantina Nikita is a highly respected academic in her field. As Director of the Mobile Radiocommunications Lab and Director of the Biomedical Simulations and Imaging Lab at NTUA, her work brings together biomedical and electronic engineering. As a top female academic, Professor Nikita holds prestigious national and international positions of leadership such as Editor-in-Chief of the IEEE Open Journal of Antennas and Propagation and Chair of the IEEE Greece Section.

Professor Nikita will be hosted by Dr Despina Moschou in the Department of Electronic and Electrical Engineering to form multiple research collaborations in at least three of Bath’s key research centres. Dr Moschou and Head of Department Professor Adrian Evans said:

We are delighted to be hosting Professor Konstantina Nikita as a Global Chair and look forward to her visits. Professor Nikita is an international research leader in engineering and medicine and will participate in a number of key research projects in the areas of health and digitalisation. She will also engage with the Faculty Women in Engineering Society and the Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) Team Bath Biodevices without Borders, where I am sure she will prove to be an inspiring mentor.