Yi Chen is a Ph.D. student in the Department of Electrical Engineering conducting research on wearable biosensors and IoT devices. His research takes place in the ASSIST Center (Advanced Self-Powered Systems of Integrated Sensors and Technologies), led by Dr. Alper Bozkurt. He is currently working on battery-less RF energy harvesting sensor platforms, and he hopes to overcome the form factor and reliability issues posed by batteries in wearable devices.
Yi was born in Beijing, China, where he spent most of his childhood. He then briefly lived in Bangkok, Thailand, before moving to Rome, Italy, for 7 years. He graduated from Duke University with undergraduate degrees in electrical engineering, computer science, and music. Yi plans to graduate from NC State University with a Ph.D. in electrical engineering in 2027.
Outside his academic life, Yi enjoys working on personal engineering projects, performing and conducting music, and flying airplanes. He attributes his diverse set of interests to his international upbringing and curiosity for learning new skills.
Tell us about your journey to graduate school and what led you to NC State.
During the last year of my undergraduate career at Duke University, I became very passionate about improving and developing wearable devices after learning from my diabetic friends how expensive and outdated their wearable CGMs (continuous
glucose monitors) are. Most modern-day CGMs still utilize technologies that are more than a decade old, and they cost ~$300 to replace whenever the internal battery runs out. When I graduated from Duke University in 2022 with degrees in ECE, CS, and music, I decided to apply to a Ph.D. program that would allow me to research miniaturized biosensors and advance the cutting-edge of wearable technology. Not long after applying to NC State, Dr. Alper Bozkurt contacted me and told me that my interests closely aligned with his lab, iBionics. The rest is history.
Tell us about your research and/or teaching experience.
I am currently with Dr. Bozkurt at ASSIST Center, where I research various methods of wirelessly powering miniaturized sensor platforms so that they don’t need batteries to function. If I am successful, wearable sensors in the future will be significantly thinner, lighter, and more reliable. I have already prototyped a micrometer-thick coin-sized sensor platform that can harvest nearby RF energy to power itself and transmit sensor data.
Most of my teaching experience is from undergrad: I was the head TA for the Intro to Electrical Engineering course, where students got their first hands-on experience with circuit design. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience and took pride in finding intuitive and engaging ways to introduce hardware to students.
How has the Graduate School and/or NC State helped you with your professional development?
Working at iBionics lab and ASSIST Center exposed me to various professional environments where I was able to contribute to projects and witness how scientific discoveries are made. Additionally, I took the Product Innovation Lab (BME551) in the fall of 2023, where I led a team to develop an innovative hypoxia detector for airplane pilots. The project gave me hands-on experience in the engineering and business aspects of product design. Our team won 2nd place at the Product Innovation Showcase.
In the summer of 2024, I also took the PRIME The Pack course, a leadership/mentorship course that prepared me well for eventually mentoring new undergraduate and graduate students in my lab.
What advice do you have for new or current graduate students?
Being a graduate student at NC State doesn’t necessarily mean sitting in the lab for 8 hours a day and then heading home. There are organizations, courses, and facilities for most hobbies you can dream of, and engaging in these activities can help you recharge, build your pack, and avoid getting burnt out!
What are your plans after graduation?
I plan to work in industry as a hardware or software engineer, hopefully utilizing my interdisciplinary expertise in wearable sensors and IoT devices.
What does being an NC State graduate student mean to you?
Being an NC State graduate student means I am performing research alongside the best faculty and peers the area has to offer and making full use of all the resources and opportunities at NC State.
Fun fact about yourself.
I am a private pilot working towards my instrument rating. In my free time, I volunteer to fly search-and-rescue missions for the Civil Air Patrol. I am also a classically trained pianist and vocalist and am very active in the music scene at NC State: I sing and conduct in the State Chorale and Chamber Choir and have music-directed many University Theatre musical productions.
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