Dr. Zhoulyu Rao obtained his B.Sc. degree in Applied Chemistry from Xidian University in 2012 and his M.S. degree in Chemistry from the University of Science and Technology of China in 2015. He subsequently pursued his Ph.D. degree in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of Houston, where he developed advanced functional materials and fabrication strategies for flexible and bio-integrated electronic systems. After completing his doctoral studies in 2021, he joined Pennsylvania State University as a postdoctoral researcher and later continued his research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, working with Prof. Cunjiang Yu. He joined City University of Hong Kong as an Assistant Professor in August 2026.

Dr. Rao’s research interest lies at the interface of functional materials chemistry, soft electronics, and bioengineering, focusing on the development of mechanically adaptive electronic materials and systems. His research combines polymer chemistry, nanomaterials, device fabrication, and advanced manufacturing approaches to create soft, stretchable, and bio-integrated electronic platforms that can seamlessly interact with biological systems and enable emerging technologies in personalized medicine, wearable healthcare, and human-machine interaction.