Soft Science Expert Interview Series - Prof. W. Hong Yeo

On January 30, 2026, the Editorial Office of Soft Science conducted an online interview with Prof. W. Hong Yeo, a newly appointed Editorial Board Member and a faculty member in the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering and the Wallace H. Coulter Department of Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Institute of Technology (Georgia Tech), Atlanta, GA, USA.

During the interview, Prof. Yeo shared insights into his interdisciplinary research spanning photonic materials, soft robotics, bioelectronics, and nanoscale biosensors, emphasizing the importance of system-level integration in developing next-generation healthcare technologies. Specifically, he discussed how tackling challenges in health monitoring and disease diagnosis requires considering multiple aspects - such as materials, mechanics, electronics, and data science - starting from the design stage.

Prof. Yeo highlighted his work on ultrathin nanomembrane implantable electronic devices, which can be implanted minimally invasively via a catheter without surgery. However, he noted that this technology is still at an early stage in terms of large-scale manufacturing and clinical application. He believes that data-driven algorithms and deep learning have the potential to fundamentally transform the design of bioelectronic devices, enabling capabilities such as self-regulation, early detection, and predictive diagnostics. Looking ahead, he envisions the most promising direction as the development of closed-loop, adaptive digital healthcare platforms capable of real-time sensing, interpretation, and response - an endeavor that will require interdisciplinary collaboration.

Watch the full interview with Prof. W. Hong Yeo:

Interview Questions:

Q1. Your recent article, "Advances in Photonic Materials and Integrated Devices for Smart and Digital Healthcare: Bridging the Gap Between Materials and Systems" (Advanced Materials, 2025), highlights the role of photonic materials in next-generation healthcare technologies. What do you see as its most significant conceptual or technological contribution?
Q2. Your research spans soft robotics, bioelectronics, human-machine interfaces, and nano-/micro-structured devices. How do you strategically integrate these diverse fields to address challenges in health monitoring, disease diagnosis, and therapeutic systems?
Q3. Among your recent achievements in nanomembrane implantable electronics and nano-biosensors, which breakthrough do you believe has had the greatest impact so far, and how close are these technologies to real-world clinical or translational applications?
Q4. Smart machine intelligence and deep learning are increasingly important in bioelectronic and healthcare systems. How do you envision data-driven algorithms reshaping the design, functionality, and reliability of future soft and implantable electronic devices?
Q5. Looking ahead, what do you see as the most critical bottlenecks - and the most promising opportunities - in building fully integrated digital healthcare platforms that combine photonic materials, soft mechanical structures, bioelectronics, and intelligent systems?

About the Interviewee:

Editor: Jiaxin Li
Language Editor: Catherine Yang
Production Editor: Ting Xu
Respectfully Submitted by the Editorial Office of Soft Science