Join Us
For current or prospective Ph.D. students: Fall 2026 Ph.D. recruitment is now closed. Applicants interested in the Fall 2027 admission cycle are encouraged to email me directly with a clear description of their interest and prior experience in one or more of the areas below:
- Photonics: Most relevant areas include optical microscopy, photonic integrated circuit simulation, design, layout, and characterization.
- Computing: Most relevant experiences include trianing small models using supervised or reinforcement learning and deploying large models on GPU clusters. Please highlight CS courses and projects you have accomplished.
- Biomedicine: It is preferred for the applicant to have received training in a biomedical field with a desire to apply optical imaging to studying specific biological questions (e.g., in neuroscience, or disease studies).
Typically, my lab receives Ph.D. applications through the ECE Ph.D. program, in Electrophysics (EP) or Information and Data Science (IDS) track. For fall matriculation, the deadline for application is December 15 of the prior year. Enrolled Ph.D. students have their tuition fully covered by the department, and receive a stipend for research or teaching activities (ECE PhD handbook; BME PhD handbook). Applicants are strongly encouraged to apply to internal and external graduate fellowships (here; p.10 in the ECE PhD handbook).
A unique benefit of attending Boston University is its strategic location – in the heart of a close-knit ecosystem of world-class research institutions and enterprises – offering unparalleled opportunities for academic exchange, networking, and career development, all within the reach of a short ride or walk.
Why pursue a PhD and what to expect from it? (Think before you click)
The best outcome of PhD study is to create something new and non-trivial, be it a discovery of a new method or phenomenon, or a new perspective on old theories. An outstanding PhD thesis should generate knowledge that cannot be easily inferred from the existing body of human knowledge, while also being broadly applicable and inspiring for others. Achieving this goal generally requires close collaboration between the trainee and the advisor. PhD candidates with the following qualities tend to enjoy this process, and are thus more likely to succeed:
- Intellectual Curiosity: Feel deeply rewarded by discovery and creation, and are motivated to explore uncharted territory and solve open-ended problems.
- Personality Core: Capable of deriving joy from day-to-day activities of research, rather than feeling forced to do so.
- Work Ethics: Value productivity; stay focused on the central problem and continually adapt plans to approach the goal.
- Input Skills: Being a natural learner; capable of assimilating skills from a broad range of areas to solve their research problems.
- Output Skills: Acknowledge that good communication is equally beneficial for oneself and their team; strive to explain ideas in a coherent way, and plans in an actionable way.
- Personal Skills: Thrive in collaborative environments, value knowledge-sharing, and actively seek feedback, especially critical ones.
For prospective post-docs: For those interested in conducing postdoctoral research with me, please contact me with your CV and publicaiton list. We may schedule a meeting to further discuss your career goals and research proposals.
Additionally, it is highly recommended for post-doc candidates to explore eligible fellowships in advance (for instance, here and here). It is crucial to plan early for these fellowships, as they sometimes have deadlines that precede the completion of one’s Ph.D., and they usually require the candidate to develop a research proposal in collaboration with a prospective advisor.
For master and undergraudate students: We welcome motivated master students and ambitious undergraduates who seek research experience for a future career in research. Please contact me with your CV, including your prior research experience, skills, and publication.
For visiting scholars: We are open to hosting those who are interested in our research. Please contact me directly to discuss options.