Dr. Haihang Ye (also known as Alex Ye) is a Research Professor and Doctoral Supervisor at the Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research (SIAR), which is part of the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC).
Academic Degrees
Ph.D. in Chemistry (2015 – 2018/2019)
University of Central Florida (UCF), Orlando, FL.
Research conducted under the supervision of Dr. Xiaohu Xia, focusing on the synthesis of noble-metal nanostructures for diagnostics.
Note: He also spent time as a PhD student at Michigan Technological University (2015–2018) before moving to UCF.
M.S. in Materials Science (2012 – 2015)
Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU), Beijing, China.
B.S. in Materials Chemistry (2008 – 2012)
Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU), Beijing, China.
Dr. Haihang Ye (also known as Alex Ye) is a prominent Chinese academic and researcher specializing in nanotechnology and intelligent medical devices. His biography is marked by a rapid rise in the field of in-vitro diagnostics, particularly through his development of "digital plasmonic nanobubble" technology.
Below is a detailed biography of his career and contributions.
Dr. Ye completed his foundational academic training in China at Beijing Jiaotong University (BJTU), earning his Bachelor’s (2012) and Master’s (2015) degrees in Materials Science and Chemistry.
He moved to the United States for his doctoral studies, initially attending Michigan Technological University before transferring to the University of Central Florida (UCF). Under the mentorship of Dr. Xiaohu Xia, he earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry in 2019, focusing on the controllable synthesis of noble-metal nanostructures.
From 2019 to 2022, Dr. Ye served as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Texas at Dallas in Dr. Zhenpeng Qin’s lab. During this period, he made his most significant technological breakthrough: the development of DIAMOND (DIgitAl plasMONic nanobubble Detection).
The Tech: This method uses lasers to "pop" gold nanoparticles, creating nanobubbles that allow for virus detection 150 times more sensitive than traditional rapid tests.
Commercialization: This work led to the founding of Avsana Labs, a startup aimed at commercializing ultra-sensitive, PCR-quality rapid tests for hospitals and home use.
In August 2022, Dr. Ye returned to China to join the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC) as a Research Professor at the Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research (SIAR).
He is a core member of the iMED (Center for Intelligent Medical Equipment and Devices), where he leads a research group focused on:
Developing automated, single-molecule detection systems.
Improving Point-of-Care (POC) diagnostics for infectious diseases.
Synthesizing next-generation nanomaterials for biomedical applications.
Publications: Over 40 peer-reviewed articles in top-tier journals, including Nature Communications, ACS Nano, Nano Letters, and Small.
Citations: His work has been cited over 2,300 times, reflecting a high impact on the global nanotechnology community.
Honors: Recognized as a Doctoral Supervisor at one of China's elite "C9 League" universities before the age of 35
Dr. Haihang Ye focuses his research on the intersection of nanotechnology, biomedical engineering, and automated diagnostics. His goal is to create the next generation of "smart" medical devices that can detect diseases with the sensitivity of a professional lab but the speed and ease of a home pregnancy test.
His research interests can be categorized into three primary pillars:
Dr. Ye is an expert in "growing" nanoparticles with atomic precision. By controlling the shape, size, and composition of metals like gold, platinum, and ruthenium, he creates materials with unique optical and catalytic properties.
Nanoframes & Hollow Structures: Developing "hollow" nanoparticles that have more surface area, making them highly efficient catalysts for chemical reactions.
Peroxidase Mimics (Nanozymes): Creating artificial enzymes that can replace natural enzymes in medical tests, making the tests more stable and cost-effective.
This is the core "application" of his work. He uses nanomaterials to amplify signals in medical tests so that even a single virus particle can be detected.
Digital Plasmonic Nanobubble Detection (DIAMOND): This flagship technology uses a laser to heat gold nanoparticles. These particles create tiny "bubbles" that can be heard or seen, allowing for the detection of viruses (like RSV or COVID-19) at levels far below what traditional rapid tests can see.
Next-Gen Lateral Flow Assays (LFA): Improving the common "strip test" by using laser excitation to make the lines easier to read and much more accurate.
At the Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research (USTC), Dr. Ye is moving toward Automation and Robotics in healthcare.
MACpro (Multicolor-Assay-on-a-Chip): A recent (2024) innovation involving a robotic microfluidic platform. It uses "eye-in-hand" modules (robots with cameras) to perform complex medical assays automatically, removing human error and allowing for high-speed testing in the field.
Single-Molecule Detection: Building systems that can "count" individual molecules of a disease biomarker, which is crucial for early cancer detection or tracking rare pathogens.
| Focus Area | Key Technology | Real-World Goal |
| Material Science | Ruthenium/Gold Nanoframes | Better, cheaper catalysts for medicine and energy. |
| Diagnostics | Digital Nanobubbles | PCR-level accuracy in a 15-minute rapid test. |
| Automation | Robotic Microfluidics | Decentralized labs that can run without human technicians. |
Dr. Haihang Ye is actively involved in the global scientific community through high-impact publishing, patent development, and collaborative research. His scientific activities bridge the gap between fundamental chemistry and market-ready medical technology.
Dr. Ye serves as a peer reviewer for several prestigious journals in the fields of chemistry and nanotechnology, ensuring the quality of research in his domain. His publication record in top-tier journals includes:
Nature Communications
ACS Nano
Nano Letters
Small
Theranostics
A significant portion of Dr. Ye’s scientific activity involves translating lab research into intellectual property. He holds multiple patents, particularly from his time at the University of Texas at Dallas, focusing on ultra-sensitive diagnostic methods:
Photoacoustic Assays: Patents for devices using optically actuated gold nanoparticles to detect biological analytes via sound (photoacoustic signals).
Particle-Based Sensors: Methods utilizing gold nanorods and silver nanocages to achieve enhanced detection limits for viruses and other pathogens.
His scientific work has a strong entrepreneurial focus. He is a co-founder (or key technical architect) of Avsana Labs, a startup born out of the University of Texas at Dallas. The company focuses on the commercialization of the DIAMOND technology to bring PCR-level sensitivity to point-of-care and home-testing settings.
Since joining the Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research (SIAR) at USTC in 2022, his scientific activities have expanded to include:
Doctoral Supervision: Mentoring the next generation of researchers in the iMED center.
Research Funding: Managing research grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) and other regional science initiatives in Suzhou.
Collaboration: Working with a global network of co-authors from institutions like Massachusetts General Hospital, Tsinghua University, and the University of Central Florida.
Dr. Ye frequently presents his findings at international conferences focused on Nanotechnology and In-Vitro Diagnostics. He is known for making complex nanophotonics concepts accessible, often using metaphors to explain how his "nanobubble" technology acts as a high-sensitivity alarm for viral detection.
"Intrinsically stretchable complementary circuits based on direct photo-patternable polymer semiconductors" Journal: Nature Electronics, 2026.
"Solvation-property relationship of lithium-sulphur battery electrolytes" Journal: Nature Communications, 2024.
"Enhancing the sensitivity of colorimetric lateral flow assay (CLFA) through signal amplification techniques" Journal: Theranostics, 2020.
"Facile colorimetric detection of silver ions with picomolar sensitivity" Journal: ACS Nano, 2017.
"Ru nanoframes with an fcc structure and enhanced catalytic properties" Journal: Nano Letters, 2016.
Diagnostic Technology: Much of his work focuses on DIAMOND (Digital Plasmonic Nanobubble Detection), which uses lasers and nanoparticles to detect viruses at concentrations 150x lower than standard tests.
Nanozymes: He has published extensively on ruthenium nanoframes and other metal structures that act as artificial enzymes, providing a more stable and cheaper alternative to natural proteins in medical assays.
Robotic Diagnostics: Recent work at USTC (2023–2025) involves automated microfluidic chips and "eye-in-hand" robotic systems for hands-free medical testing.