I lead Atom of Learning (AtoL) Lab (中文介绍) at the Nanjing University (南京大学). Here, we decipher learning principles of biological neurons, with an aim of discovering and understanding the fundamental elements of intelligence, so as to build the next-generation learning systems (for the future 10+ years 🚀).

Bio

I obtained my PhD from Oxford University, where I was awarded J.P. Morgan AI Research Award (10 awardees worldwide) for identifying a family of learning principles from biological neurons. With a group of amazing scientists, I first-authored a Nature Neuroscience paper and some AI/ML conference papers (detailed in CV).

My research is presented in the Nature Portfolio collection of Nobel Prize in Physics 2024 and extensively discussed in a recent article on The Economist.

My research inspires 100x more efficient hardware for artificial neural networks, turning into a spinout from Oxford University: Fractile. I cofounded Fractile in 2021 (as the leading founder at the time) and act as the CTO. We raised a total of $17.5M (约1.2亿人民币) from various top-tier VCs and $6.3M (约4500万) from ARIA over 2021-2024. Recently, former Intel CEO, Pat Gelsinger, invested and joined Fractile. I left Fractile in 2024 to pursue my next venture.

In 2025, I am funded by “National High-Level Youth Talent Program for Overseas Scholars (国家级海外青年高层次人才)”, joining School of Artificial Intelligence (人工智能学院) at the Nanjing University (南京大学), as Associate Professor (Pre-Tenure).

For my full education background and professional experiences, refer to my CV.

One more thing — I believe life and work deserve the same fire, see my Life page.

Openings

For entry in year 2026, I have capacity for two master’s students and one PhD student. I also have regular funding for postdoc positions. For students and researchers interested in working with us, read here before reaching out.

Teachings

Starting from Fall 2026, I will be teaching two undergraduate courses: Introduction to Neuroscience (神经科学导论) and Intelligent Hardware and New Devices (智能硬件与新器件). These courses reflect my long-standing research interests and hands-on experience in neural computation and neuromorphic systems, offering students an opportunity to learn foundational concepts through the lens of active work across both scientific discovery and real-world applications.

Quick Links

• 🧾 Publications.
• 🤝 Work with Us.
• ✉️ Contact.
• 🌿 Life.