Biography

Zhong Wang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Educational Psychology at Washington State University. His research investigates how the nervous system controls joint function and human movement, unifying neuroscience and biomechanics into the field of neuromechanics. He applies this foundation to translational challenges in human mobility and well-being.

Dr. Wang earned his Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Texas at Austin, where he focused on how neural coordination of quadriceps influences patellofemoral joint mechanics. He then completed postdoctoral training in the Department of Neuroscience at Northwestern University, working on wireless brain-machine interface systems to enable locomotion control in paralysis, as well as the biomimetic design and neuromechanical modeling of bio-inspired robotics. He joined WSU in 2025 to launch his independent research programs.

At WSU, Dr. Wang directs the emerging Laboratory for Motor Intelligence, where his group is developing a closed-loop multimodal neuromechanical platform to study how neural system controls and stabilizes knee joint under variable loading. His work bridges neuroscience, biomechanics and rehabilitation engineering, with the long-term goal of advancing intelligent and adaptive neurorobotic strategies to restore and reinforce mobility across the lifespan.

In teaching, Dr. Wang leads Motor Control & Learning course and is developing curriculum that connects motor neurosciences with applied rehabilitation and human performance. He is committed to mentoring students in research, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration, and building a translational program that links theory with practice.

Selected Publications

Burton, A.*, Wang, Z.*, Song, D., Tran, S., Hanna, J., Ahmad, D., Bakall, J., Clausen, D., Anderson, J., Peralta, R., Sandepudi, K., Benedetto, A., Yang, E., Basrai, D., Miller, L. E., Tresch, M. C., & Gutruf, P. (2023). Fully implanted battery-free high power platform for chronic spinal and muscular functional electrical stimulation. Nature Communications, 14(1), 1–17. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-43669-2. (*co-first authors)

Wang, Z., Tran, S., Serrancolí, G. & Tresch, M.C. (2025). A Method to Characterize Rat Hindlimb Mechanics Using Dynamic Perturbations. In: Biomimetic and Biohybrid Systems. Living Machines 2024. Lecture Notes in Computer Science, vol 14930. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-72597-5_31.

Selected Media Coverage

– MIT Technology Review (China): Wireless power-harvesting spinal stimulator for brain–machine interfaces (2024).

– Medical Xpress: Building Momentum for neural prostheses (2024).

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellowship, Northwestern University (2021–2025)
• Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin (2016–2021)
• M.S., Beijing Sport University (2013–2016)
• B.S., Beijing Sport University (2009–2013)