I am a Principal Investigator and Assistant Professor at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU). Previously, I was an Associate Professor at the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) in Beijing. From November 2021 to November 2023, I served as a Research Associate in the Neuroscience of Language Lab (NeLLab) at New York University, collaborating with Prof. Liina Pylkkänen. (I love New York!!!). I received my Ph.D. in June 2018 from the National Laboratory of Pattern Recognition (NLPR), CASIA, under the supervision of Prof. Chengqing Zong, and my B.S. from Northeastern University in June 2013.

Research Interests

My research lies at the intersection of artificial intelligence, neuroscience, and linguistics, with a focus on bridging human and machine intelligence.

AI for Neuroscience: Aligning Generative AI with Human Cognition

• Investigating the neural mechanisms of language representation and composition in the human brain.
• Developing methods for alignment between AI models and human cognitive processes.
• Studying intelligence emergence and developmental biomarkers through computational models.

AI Applications in Education and Healthcare

• Developing AI tools for language learning and education.
• Studying how different types of AI models affect students’ learning and cognition.
• Building emotionally intelligent chatbots and brain simulation models.

Computational Language Science

• Enhancing the interpretability and robustness of large language models (LLMs).
• Creating standardized benchmarks and testing materials for evaluating AI in linguistic tasks.
• Simulating language acquisition using multimodal language models trained from scratch.

Brain-Computer Interface (BCI)

• Designing cutting-edge, multimodal brain-computer interfaces.
• Advancing robust BCI systems for real-world applications (“BCI in the wild”).
• Exploring novel BCI applications in communication and healthcare.

✨ Latest News ✨

🌟 Open Positions (Updated June 15, 2026): I am recruiting motivated Ph.D. students to start in 2027 (January, May, or September). I also welcome applications for Research Assistant (RA) positions (remote or in person) and collaborations with students at all levels.

Ideal candidates have a background in Computer Science, Engineering, Psychology, Linguistics, or a related field, and possess a strong motivation for interdisciplinary research.

If you are genuinely passionate about these research areas, please contact me at shaonan.wang@polyu.edu.hk. Due to the high volume of emails, I may not be able to respond to every inquiry.