Professor Nick Wu

When Nianqiang “Nick” Wu was named the Armstrong/Siadat Endowed Professor in Materials Science and Engineering at UMass Amherst in January 2020, it was just two months before the entire world went into lockdown because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The lull allowed him to build up his lab, securing a diverse and interdisciplinary team with research focused on electrochemical and photonic materials and devices.

Recruited to UMass from West Virginia University, Wu credits the university’s reputation as Massachusetts’s flagship public institution, its cutting-edge facilities, and its commitment to science and technology with attracting him. Since 2018, he has been recognized as one of the world’s most highly cited researchers every year and is considered to be in the top one percent of all scientists in his field.

Wu’s research transforms fundamental scientific discoveries into biomedical engineering and renewable energy technologies. His research group develops point-of-care testing devices for diagnosing acute or infectious diseases, including an optical paper-based test strip that detects COVID-19 earlier than other commercial options with a reduced false negative rate.

The Wu lab has also developed an HIV diagnostic device that enables early detection of HIV within two weeks of infection by patients themselves at home and in clinics. Some consider this one of the most significant achievements ever to come out of UMass Amherst. The test requires just one drop of blood to detect trace biomarkers, which is extremely challenging because the biomarker level in blood is so low. In addition, Wu’s lab is working on new nanotechnology for deep-tissue imaging and cancer therapy.

In his time at UMass, Wu has worked on several large-scale federal grants with an astounding $27 million in funding as a principal or co-investigator in the past five years. He is currently leading an initiative that is part of a $30 million center proposal, collaborating with multiple universities and industrial companies to address grant challenges in sustainability of the food-energy-water nexus.