Academic Staff
- HHB719
- +852 2766 6981
- shaonan.wang@polyu.edu.hk
- Personal Website
Biography
My research operates at the intersection of artificial intelligence and neuroscience, pursuing two complementary directions: AI for neuroscience and neuroscience for AI.
In the first stream, I investigate the neural mechanisms underlying language representation and composition in both human brains and machines. Using natural language processing methods, I align computational models with human neural activity to study semantic representation, compositional processing, and multimodal integration. I also build language models from scratch trained on developmentally plausible input to study language acquisition, aligning these models with children's brain data to examine how neural language processing evolves with age.
In the second stream, insights from these neuroscience studies inform the development of brain-inspired language models that incorporate principles of human cognition.
Beyond foundational research, I focus on translational applications in brain-computer interfaces and healthcare AI. This includes designing multimodal brain-computer interfaces, advancing robust BCI systems for real-world deployment, and exploring novel applications in communication and clinical settings. I also develop AI-powered assistive technologies, particularly for language learning and language disorder rehabilitation.
Academic and Professional Experience
- Associate Professor, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences
- Research Associate, Department of Psychology, Department of Linguistics, New York University
- Assistant Professor, Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences