Zhi-Pei Liang’s research is in the general area of magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy, ranging from spin physics, signal processing, machine learning, to biomedical applications. His research group is focused on developing methods for optimal acquisition, reconstruction, and processing of MR images with application to functional neuroimaging, real-time cardiac imaging, and cancer imaging.
Liang received his PhD degree in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University in 1989. He subsequently joined the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign first as a postdoctoral fellow (supervised by the late Nobel Laureate Paul Lauterbur) and then as a faculty member in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. Liang is currently the Franklin W. Woeltge Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering; he also co-chairs the Integrative Imaging Theme in the Beckman Institute for Advanced Science and Technology. Research from his group has received a number of recognitions, including the Sylvia Sorkin Greenfield Award (Medical Physics, 1990), Whitaker Biomedical Engineering Research Award (1991), NSF CAREER Award (1995), Henry Magnuski Scholar Award (UIUC, 1999), University Scholar Award (UIUC, 2001), Isidor I. Rabi Award (International Society of Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, 2009), IEEE-EMBC Best Paper Awards (2010, 2011), IEEE-ISBI Best Paper Award (2010, 2015), Otto Schmitt Award (International Federation for Medical and Biological Engineering, 2012), Technical Achievement Award (IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society, 2014), and Andrew Yang Research Award (UIUC, 2017). Dr. Liang was selected as the Paul C. Lauterbur Lecturer for the 2016 ISMRM meeting and as the Savio L. Woo Distinguished Lecturer for the 2017 WACBE World Congress on Bioengineering. He is a Fellow of the IEEE, the International Society for Magnetic Resonance in Medicine, the American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering, and the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering. Dr. Liang served as President of the IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Society from 2011-2012 and received its Distinguished Service Award in 2015.