Engineering Neural and Neurovascular Science into Systems That Change Care

Pioneering Biomedical Engineering from Neural Discovery to Clinical Impact

Dr. Liao leads a translational biomedical engineering program designed to make neural and neurovascular dynamics measurable, interpretable, and clinically actionable. His work unites electrophysiology, neurophotonics, photoacoustic and laser-speckle imaging, biomedical electronics, nano-biosensing, and artificial intelligence to create integrated platforms that move decisively from mechanism discovery to device engineering, clinical validation, and healthcare impact.

After earning his Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from National Chiao Tung University, Dr. Liao worked with Professor Chin-Teng Lin to pioneer bio-inspired dry EEG sensors and their integrated front-end circuitry, helping establish the technological foundation for wearable wireless brain–computer interfaces. At the Singapore Institute for Neurotechnology, National University of Singapore, he advanced from Research Scientist to Senior Research Scientist and Head of the Neurophotonics Group, directing multimodal platforms that combined neural recording, in vivo optical imaging, and biosensing while contributing to the leadership of Singapore’s Society for Neuroscience community.

Since joining the Institute of Biomedical Engineering and Nanomedicine at NHRI in 2015, he has built the NanoNeurophotonics Laboratory and pioneered intact-skull photoacoustic imaging of neurovascular coupling at the level of individual cortical vessels, establishing an internationally distinctive multimodal neuroimaging platform. He advanced to Associate Principal Investigator in 2020, served as Deputy Director from 2023 to 2025, and was promoted to tenured Principal Investigator in 2025. He has also served as Advisory PI of the NHRI Optical Imaging Core Laboratory since 2017.

His research and leadership record includes 136 SCI journal papers, an H-index of 42, 20 issued patents across Taiwan and the United States, and five licensed technologies executed through six technology-transfer agreements. He serves as an Associate Editor of npj Digital Medicine, Biosensors, Frontiers in Neuroscience, and Medical & Biological Engineering & Computing, and holds joint appointments as Professor at National Yang Ming Chiao Tung University and National United University. His professional governance roles include Board Director of The Plastics Industry Development Center (PIDC), Board Member of the Taiwanese Society of Biomedical Engineering, and Board Member of the Intelligent Technology & Health Promotion Association.