Yujia Zhang is a Tenure Track Assistant Professor of Electrical and Microengineering at the School of Engineering at École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL). He has led the Laboratory for Bio-Iontronics (BION) since January 2025. A major interest of his laboratory is the development of iontronic biointerfaces and hybrid intelligent systems for biomedical detection and treatment. Recently, he has pioneered the area of dropletronics, in which networks of microscale soft droplets function as versatile bioiontronic/bioelectronic devices.
Prior to his appointment, he obtained his B.Sc. in electronics engineering from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2016. Later, he completed his PhD in biomedical engineering and MEMS/NEMS technology at the Shanghai Institute of Microsystem and Information Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, followed by one year as a visiting PhD at Stony Brook University. In 2021, Yujia joined the Bayley group and later became an early-care
RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS
Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Biomedical Engineering, Bioengineering, Biomaterials
1344
Scholar Citations
14
Scholar h-index
16
Scholar i10-index
RECENT SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
Signals through salt: Building machines that use the language of biology Y Zhang, H Bayley Physics Today 79 (6), 60-62 , 2026 2026
Bioinspiration for bioiontronics Y Lyu, Y Su, K Nan, Y Zhang Iontronics 2 (9) , 2026 2026 Citations: 1
Microelectrode Arrays for Dropletronic Circuits B Tankwa, J Zhu, A Shirin, A Aziz, Y Jiao, A Remy, Y Zhang 2026 IEEE 39th International Conference on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems … , 2026 2026
Flexoelectric effect in flexible 2D nanofluidic channels L Jia, Y Shao, J Luo, Y Su, Y Zhang, X Pu Faraday Discussions , 2026 2026
Neuromorphic iontronic devices based on soft ionic conductors L Wang, Y Jiao, H Zhang, Y Liu, Y Zhang, P Wu, K Xiao Chemical Society Reviews 55, 299-335 , 2026 2026 Citations: 10
Iontronic devices from biological nanopores to artificial systems: emerging applications and future perspectives J Luo, A Remy, Y Zhang Chemical Reviews 125 (24), 11840-11877 , 2025 2025 Citations: 7
3D microtumors representing ovarian cancer minimal residual disease respond to the fatty acid oxidation inhibitor perhexiline X Yang, M Artibani, Y Jin, A Aggarwal, Y Zhang, S Muñoz‐Galvan, ... Advanced healthcare materials 14 (14), 2404072 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
Dropletronics: Microscale Droplet Assembly Enables Multifunctional Modular Iontronics Y Zhang International Workshop on Bionic Engineering 2025 15th Plenary Meeting of … , 2025 2025
Microscale droplet assembly enables biocompatible multifunctional modular iontronics Y Zhang, CMJ Tan, CN Toepfer, X Lu, H Bayley Science 386 (6725), 1024-1030 , 2024 2024 Citations: 69
A microscale soft lithium-ion battery for tissue stimulation Y Zhang, T Sun, X Yang, L Zhou, CMJ Tan, M Lei, H Bayley Nature Chemical Engineering 1, 691–701 , 2024 2024 Citations: 49
Inside Back Cover: Enzyme‐Enabled Droplet Biobattery for Powering Synthetic Tissues (Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 44/2024) J Liu, Y Qing, L Zhou, S Chen, X Li, Y Zhang, H Bayley Angewandte Chemie International Edition 63 (44), e202415914 , 2024 2024 Citations: 2
Enzyme‐Enabled Droplet Biobattery for Powering Synthetic Tissues J Liu, Y Qing, L Zhou, S Chen, X Li, Y Zhang, H Bayley Angewandte Chemie International Edition 63 (44), e202408665 , 2024 2024 Citations: 14
3D-Printed synthetic tissues that can be remotely controlled L Baley, H., Zhang, Y. & Zhou EU Research 37 (Spring 2024), pp. 26 -27 , 2024 2024
Integration of 3D-printed cerebral cortical tissue into an ex vivo lesioned brain slice Y Jin, E Mikhailova, M Lei, SA Cowley, T Sun, X Yang, Y Zhang, K Liu, ... Nature Communications 14 (1), 5986 , 2023 2023 Citations: 43
A microscale soft ionic power source modulates neuronal network activity Y Zhang, J Riexinger, X Yang, E Mikhailova, Y Jin, L Zhou, H Bayley Nature 620 (7976), 1001-1006 , 2023 2023 Citations: 147
A 3D microtumour system that faithfully represents ovarian cancer minimal residual disease X Yang, M Artibani, Y Jin, A Aggarwal, Y Zhang, S Muñoz-Galvan, ... bioRxiv, 2023.07. 15.549155 , 2023 2023 Citations: 1
Iontronics under confinement: general discussion MZ Bazant, L Bocquet, F Cicoira, DFD Sánchez, E Farrell, C Holm, S Igor, ... Faraday discussions 246, 592-617 , 2023 2023
Iontronic coupling: general discussion S Abayzeed, T Anwar, A Barnaveli, MZ Bazant, L Bocquet, A Donev, ... Faraday discussions 246, 157-178 , 2023 2023 Citations: 1
Iontronic dynamics: general discussion M Aarts, MZ Bazant, L Bocquet, F Cicoira, RAW Dryfe, S Faez, YKC Fung, ... Faraday discussions 246, 322-355 , 2023 2023
Functional Integration of 3D-Printed Cerebral Cortical Tissue into a Brain Lesion Y Jin, E Mikhailova, M Lei, S Cowley, T Sun, X Yang, Y Zhang, K Liu, ... bioRxiv, 2022.10. 28.513987 , 2022 2022
MOST CITED SCHOLAR PUBLICATIONS
A star-nose-like tactile-olfactory bionic sensing array for robust object recognition in non-visual environments M Liu, Y Zhang, J Wang, N Qin, H Yang, K Sun, J Hao, L Shu, J Liu, ... Nature communications 13 (1), 79 , 2022 2022 Citations: 179
“Genetically engineered” biofunctional triboelectric nanogenerators using recombinant spider silk Y Zhang, Z Zhou, L Sun, Z Liu, X Xia, TH Tao Advanced Materials 30 (50), 1805722 , 2018 2018 Citations: 179
A microscale soft ionic power source modulates neuronal network activity Y Zhang, J Riexinger, X Yang, E Mikhailova, Y Jin, L Zhou, H Bayley Nature 620 (7976), 1001-1006 , 2023 2023 Citations: 147
“Self‐matched” tribo/piezoelectric nanogenerators using vapor‐induced phase‐separated poly (vinylidene fluoride) and recombinant spider silk T Huang, Y Zhang, P He, G Wang, X Xia, G Ding, TH Tao Advanced Materials 32 (10), 1907336 , 2020 2020 Citations: 146
Skin‐friendly electronics for acquiring human physiological signatures Y Zhang, TH Tao Advanced Materials 31 (49), 1905767 , 2019 2019 Citations: 145
Self‐powered multifunctional transient bioelectronics Y Zhang, Z Zhou, Z Fan, S Zhang, F Zheng, K Liu, Y Zhang, Z Shi, L Chen, ... Small 14 (35), 1802050 , 2018 2018 Citations: 101
Biomimicking antibacterial opto‐electro sensing sutures made of regenerated silk proteins M Liu, Y Zhang, K Liu, G Zhang, Y Mao, L Chen, Y Peng, TH Tao Advanced Materials 33 (1), 2004733 , 2021 2021 Citations: 90
Microscale droplet assembly enables biocompatible multifunctional modular iontronics Y Zhang, CMJ Tan, CN Toepfer, X Lu, H Bayley Science 386 (6725), 1024-1030 , 2024 2024 Citations: 69
A microscale soft lithium-ion battery for tissue stimulation Y Zhang, T Sun, X Yang, L Zhou, CMJ Tan, M Lei, H Bayley Nature Chemical Engineering 1, 691–701 , 2024 2024 Citations: 49
Integration of 3D-printed cerebral cortical tissue into an ex vivo lesioned brain slice Y Jin, E Mikhailova, M Lei, SA Cowley, T Sun, X Yang, Y Zhang, K Liu, ... Nature Communications 14 (1), 5986 , 2023 2023 Citations: 43
A bioinspired wireless epidermal photoreceptor for artificial skin vision Y Zhang, TH Tao Advanced Functional Materials 30 (22), 2000381 , 2020 2020 Citations: 42
Recent progress in bio‐integrated intelligent sensing system M Liu, Y Zhang, TH Tao Advanced Intelligent Systems 4 (6), 2100280 , 2022 2022 Citations: 38
Robotic Manipulation under Harsh Conditions Using Self‐Healing Silk‐Based Iontronics M Liu, Y Zhang, Y Zhang, Z Zhou, N Qin, TH Tao Advanced Science 9 (2), 2102596 , 2022 2022 Citations: 31
Enzyme‐Enabled Droplet Biobattery for Powering Synthetic Tissues J Liu, Y Qing, L Zhou, S Chen, X Li, Y Zhang, H Bayley Angewandte Chemie International Edition 63 (44), e202408665 , 2024 2024 Citations: 14
Partially metal-coated tips for near-field nanospectroscopy Y Zhang, X Chen, D Chen, Z Yao, S Xu, P McArdle, MM Qazilbash, M Liu Physical Review Applied 15 (1), 014048 , 2021 2021 Citations: 14
Neuromorphic iontronic devices based on soft ionic conductors L Wang, Y Jiao, H Zhang, Y Liu, Y Zhang, P Wu, K Xiao Chemical Society Reviews 55, 299-335 , 2026 2026 Citations: 10
Iontronic devices from biological nanopores to artificial systems: emerging applications and future perspectives J Luo, A Remy, Y Zhang Chemical Reviews 125 (24), 11840-11877 , 2025 2025 Citations: 7
Silk materials light up the green society M Liu, TH Tao, Y Zhang Advanced Energy and Sustainability Research 2 (6), 2100035 , 2021 2021 Citations: 6
3D microtumors representing ovarian cancer minimal residual disease respond to the fatty acid oxidation inhibitor perhexiline X Yang, M Artibani, Y Jin, A Aggarwal, Y Zhang, S Muñoz‐Galvan, ... Advanced healthcare materials 14 (14), 2404072 , 2025 2025 Citations: 5
Flexible tactile sensing array for robust object recognition M Liu, Y Zhang, J Wang, H Yang, N Qin, TH Tao 2021 21st International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and … , 2021 2021 Citations: 5
