Pingkun Yan, an assistant professor of biomedical engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, is among 63 inventors named by the National Academy of Inventors (NAI) to the 2021 class of NAI Senior Members.

NAI Senior Members include faculty, scientists, and administrators who have demonstrated innovation in producing technologies that have positively impacted society. They also have growing success in patents, licensing, and commercialization.

Yan’s translational research focuses on medical imaging informatics and interventional oncology guidance using machine learning techniques. His interdisciplinary approach leads him to collaborate closely with clinicians from top medical institutions across the country. He is a member of the Center for Biotechnology and Interdisciplinary Studies at Rensselaer, which fosters this type of cross-discipline collaboration.

His research has been published in more than 80 peer-reviewed articles and has resulted in a number of patent filings and issued patents. The NAI elected Yan for his “success in patents, licensing, and commercialization” and for producing “technologies that have brought, or aspire to bring, real impact on the welfare of society.”