To strengthen our research capabilities and build a dynamic, innovative team, the Department of Applied Mathematics regularly invites distinguished researchers at all career stages to join us. We are delighted to introduce the newest members of the AMA family, whose diverse expertise and experiences will undoubtedly enrich our academic community and contribute to our continued success.
Prof. Leng Chenlei, Chair Professor of Statistics and Machine Learning
Professor Leng joined us on 30 September 2025. He holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Science and Technology of China (1998) and a PhD in Statistics from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (2004). He began his academic career at the National University of Singapore’s Department of Statistics and Applied Probability in 2004, becoming Associate Professor in 2010. He held visiting positions at Peking University and the University of Munich during 2011–2012, and in 2013, he joined the University of Warwick as a full Professor of Statistics.
A leading statistician, Professor Leng develops innovative methods for analyzing large, complex, high-dimensional, correlated, and networked data. His research spans high-dimensional statistics, model selection, statistical learning, network data analysis, corrected data analysis, and artificial intelligence. He actively contributes to the scholarly community, serving on editorial boards of the Journal of Computational and Graphical Statistics and Computational Statistics and Data Analysis, and previously as Associate Editor of the Journal of the Royal Statistical Society, Series B.
Professor Leng is a Fellow of the Institute of Mathematical Statistics and an Elected Member of the International Statistical Institute. He was a Turing Fellow at the Alan Turing Institute (2016–2022) and has received numerous awards, including the Teaching Excellence Award, Young Scientist Award (2009), Outstanding Scientist Award (2012) at NUS, and the Humboldt Fellowship (2012). He has also chaired the Research Section Committee of the Royal Statistical Society and co-directed the Oxford-Warwick Statistics Centre for Doctoral Training.
Dr Li Hao, Research Assistant Professor
Dr Li joined the Department of Applied Mathematics as a Research Assistant Professor on 1 July 2025. He holds a PhD in Applied Mathematics from Purdue University and a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from the University of Science and Technology of China. His research interests include machine learning, numerical analysis, and scientific computing.
Dr Liu Wei, Research Assistant Professor
Dr Liu, also a Research Assistant Professor who joined on 1 August 2025, earned his PhD from the Chinese Academy of Sciences. His research focuses on the design and analysis of (stochastic) first-order methods for nonlinear optimization problems, with an emphasis on developing algorithms that are both simple and efficient.
Dr Selena Qian Yihe, Lecturer
Dr Qian joined us on 4 August 2025. She holds a PhD from the University of Macau, a Master of Finance from the University of New South Wales, and a Bachelor of Finance from Yangzhou University. Her research interests lie in FinTech, machine learning, and asset pricing.
Dr Terry Tong Kam Hung, Teaching Fellow
Dr Tong assumed duty on 18 August 2025. He earned his PhD and MPhil in Mathematics from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, and his Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from The Chinese University of Hong Kong. His research focuses on algebraic combinatorics and representation theory.
Dr Wang Di, Teaching Fellow
Dr Wang joined us on 1 September 2025. She holds a PhD in Finance from The Chinese University of Hong Kong, a Master of Financial Engineering from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor, and a Bachelor of Science (Hons) in Mathematics with a Statistics option from The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. Her research interests include demography, modelling of actuarial assumptions, risk management, and financial data modelling.
We warmly welcome all our new colleagues to the AMA family and look forward to their valuable contributions to our department’s growth and excellence.
