Biography

Yu Sun is a Member of all the three national academies of Canada: Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE – 2014 class); The Academy of Science of Royal Society of Canada (RSC – 2019 class), and Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS – 2023 class). He is also an International Member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering  (CAE – 2021 class). He is a Professor in the Dept. of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering and is jointly appointed in the Institute of Biomedical Engineering, the Dept. of Electrical and Computer Engineering, and the Dept. of Computer Science at the University of Toronto (UofT). He is a McLean Senior Faculty Fellow and a member of the President’s Impact Academy at UofT, and a Tier I Canada Research Chair.

Sun was the founding Director of UofT Robotics Institute that has over 20 faculty members from mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, electrical engineering, biomedical engineering, computer science, and affiliated hospitals. The Robotics Institute is located on the fifth floor of the Myhal Centre. As the Faculty Director, Sun directed the University Nanofabrication Centre during 01/2012-12/2013. The Center hosts 50 million dollar equipment and has a group of technical and administrative staff, providing open access to UofT users from across faculties and to external users from both academia and industry.

Sun joined UofT in July 2004 and was promoted through the ranks of associate professor and full professor in 2009 and 2012. In 2014, he was elected into the Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE); in 2019, he was elected into the Royal Society of Canada (RSC); in 2021, he was elected into the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE); and in 2023, he was elected into the Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS).

In 1996, Sun obtained his Bachelor’s degree from Dalian University of Technology that awarded him an Alumni Achievement Award in 2014. He obtained an M.S. degree from the Institute of Automation, Chinese Academy of Sciences (Beijing) in 1999. Sun was on the University’s basketball team (1992-1994) at Dalian University of Technology. While Sun was in Beijing, he was among the 18 professional TOEFL and GRE lecturers at the Beijing New Oriental School (1998-1999). In 2001, Sun received an M.S. degree in Electrical Engineering from the Univ. of Minnesota, Minneapolis. He received his Ph.D. degree in Mechanical Engineering from the Univ. of Minnesota in 2003, under Prof. Bradley J. Nelson. Prior to joining the faculty of Toronto in July 2004, Sun did his postdoctoral research at the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology (ETH-Zürich).

Sun established in 2004 and directs the Advanced Micro and Nanosystems Laboratory at UofT. Leveraging his experience in micro-nanorobotics and cleanroom micro-nanofabrication, his team has strong expertise in (1) developing micro-nanomanipulation techniques and intelligent micro-nanorobotic systems; (2) designing novel micro-nano devices and developing new micro-nanofabrication processes. The research group manipulates, characterizes, and senses biological tissues, cells, molecules, and nanomaterials for both fundamental studies (e.g., molecule screen and genetics) and clinical/industrial applications (e.g., robotic cell surgery and precision instrumentation for industrial automation). Here is a 1-min video introducing the group’s research.

Awards and Honors:

  • Fellow, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS), 2023
  • President’s Impact Award, 2023
  • IEEE A.G.L. McNaughton Medal, 2023
  • IEEE EMBS Technical Achievement Award, 2022
  • Foreign Member, Chinese Academy of Engineering, 2021
  • CSME Mechatronics Medal (one medal given every two years), 2021
  • UofT’s Connaught Innovation Award, 2021
  • NSERC Synergy Award for Innovation (four awards annually in Canada), 2021
  • First Prize Video Award for Technical Achievement by ASRM (American Society for Reproductive Medicine), 2020 
  • Outstanding Editor Award by Microsystems & Nanoengineering (Springer Nature), 2020
  • UofT’s Connaught Innovation Award, 2020
  • Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE), 2020
  • Michael R. Freeman Innovation Award by Heart and Stroke/Richard Lewar Centre of Excellence in Cardiovascular Research (HSRLCE), 2019
  • Fellow, Academy of Science of Royal Society of Canada (RSC), 2019
  • Fellow, US National Academy of Inventors (NAI), 2018
  • IEEE C.C. Gotlieb Computer Award, 2018
  • UofT’s Connaught Innovation Award, 2018
  • Tier I Canada Research Chair, 2017
  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), 2016
  • UofT’s Connaught Innovation Award, 2016
  • Alumni Achievement Award, Dalian University of Technology, 2015
  • Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE, through the Robotics and Automation Society), 2015
  • MIE Teaching Award, University of Toronto, 2014
  • Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE), 2014
  • UofT’s Connaught Innovation Award, 2014
  • NSERC E.W.R. Steacie Memorial Fellowship (the fellowship was awarded to 6 researchers selected from across all fields of natural sciences and engineering, across Canada), 2013
  • Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME), 2013
  • Fellow, Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC), 2013
  • UofT’s Connaught Innovation Award, 2013
  • UofT’s Connaught Innovation Award, 2012
  • UofT’s Inventor of the Year Award (First Prize), 2011
  • UofT’s Connaught Innovation Award, 2011
  • IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Academic Early Career Award “for contributions to enabling microrobotic and MEMS technologies for automated cell manipulation and characterization in cell biology and clinical applications”, 2010
  • UofT’s McLean Award (one throughout the university), 2009
  • First Prize for Technical Achievement by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), 2009 
  • Fellow, Canadian Society of Mechanical Engineers (CSME), 2009
  • Ontario MRI Innovations Award, 2008
  • Ontario Premier’s Early Researcher Award, 2006
  • Univ. of Minnesota Best Dissertation finalist, 2003
  • Univ. of Minnesota Dissertation Fellowship (one of the two fellowships awarded to the ME department), 2002
  • Elite Fellowship from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1999
  • Best Paper Award from the Chinese Academy of Sciences, 1998
  • Top Ten University Student Award in Liaoning Province (highest provincial honor), 1996 
  • Fellowship to visit Hiroshima University in Japan, 1995 

Best Paper Awards:

  • Best Paper Award in Theoretical Computer and Information Sciences, International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS2023)
  • Microsystems & Nanoengineering “Outstanding Paper Award”, 2022
  • Microsystems & Nanoengineering “Outstanding Paper Award”, 2020
  • Best Paper Award in Automation at the IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA2019)
  • Best Application Paper Award at the International Conference on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales (MARSS2018)
  • IEEE Trans. Automation Science and Engineering Best New Application Paper Award (T-ASE2018)
  • Best Paper in Robotics Award at the IEEE International Conference on Information and Automation (ICIA2016)
  • CBS (Canadian Biomaterials Society) Best Abstract Award, 2016
  • Best Student Paper Award at the IEEE 2014 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA2014)
  • Best Automation Paper Award at the IEEE 2011 International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA2011)
  • Best Application Paper Award at the 2011 International Conference on Manipulation, Manufacturing, and Measurements on the Nano Scale (3M-Nano2011)
  • Best Paper Award in Clinical Research at the Canadian Fertility and Andrology Society (CFAS’09) 2009 Annual Conference
  • Best Conference Paper Award at the IEEE 2007 International Conference on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE2007)
  • Best paper finalists
    • IEEE Trans. Mechatronics 2023 Best Paper Award
    • IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters 2020 Best Paper Award
    • IEEE ICRA2014 Best Medical Robotics Award
    • IEEE ICRA2014 Best Manipulation Paper Award
    • IEEE ICRA2010 Best Manipulation Paper Award
    • IEEE IROS2006 Best Conference Paper Award
    • IEEE IROS2005 Best Conference Paper Award
    • IEEE ICMA2006 Best Student Paper Award 
    • IEEE ICRA2007 Best Student Paper Award

Professional Activities:

  • Editorship:
    • Editor-in-Chief, IEEE Trans. Automation Science and Engineering, 2021 – present
    • Editorial board member, Science Robotics, 2023 – present
    • Senior Editor, IEEE Trans. Automation Science and Engineering, 2013 – 2020
    • Senior Editor, IEEE Robotics and Automation Letters, 2015 – 2019
    • Editor, Sensors & Actuators A: Physical, 2018 – 2021
    • Editor, Engineering (Elsevier), 2020-present
    • Editorial board member, Scientific Reports, 2015 – present
    • Editorial board member, Microsystems & Nanoengineering, 2014 – present
    • Editorial board member, J. Micromechanics Microengineering, 2013 – 2021
    • Editor for IEEE International Conf. on Robotics and Automation (IEEE ICRA’2013-2015)
    • Associate Editor, IEEE Trans. Robotics, 2010 – 2013
    • Technical Editor, IEEE Trans. Mechatronics, 2009 – 2013
    • Associate Editor, IEEE Trans. Automation Science and Engineering, 2007 – 2013
  • Licensed Professional Engineer (PEng)
  • Fellow, Canadian Academy of Health Sciences (CAHS)
  • Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE)
  • Fellow, Royal Society of Canada (RSC)
  • Fellow, National Academy of Inventors (NAI)
  • Fellow, Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
  • Fellow, Canadian Academy of Engineering (CAE)
  • Fellow, Engineering Institute of Canada (EIC)
  • Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
  • Fellow, Canadian Society for Mechanical Engineering (CSME)
  • Fellow, American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS)
  • Program chair for the 2010 IEEE Int. Conf. on Automation Science and Engineering (CASE’2010)
  • Member on the Executive Program Sub-Committee for the 2011 International Conf. on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems (Transducers’2011)
  • Member of the Technical Program Committee for the IEEE International Conf. on Micro Electro Mechanical Systems (IEEE MEMS’2013 and IEEE MEMS’2014)
  • Program Chair, IEEE International Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA’2021)
  • General Chair, International Conference on Manipulation, Automation and Robotics at Small Scales (MARSS’2022)
  • Organizing committee member and/or editor for ~15 international conferences
  • Grant reviewer for ~12 U.S., Canadian, Asian, and European funding agencies
  • Paper reviewer for ~twenty-five international journals (e.g., Science, Nature, PNAS, Advanced Materials, Nano Letters, ACS Nano, IEEE Transactions etc.)