Dr Hoang-Phuong Phan | UNSW Research

Biography

Hoang-Phuong Phan is an Associate Professor and ARC Future Fellow at the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, UNSW Sydney. His research spans a broad range of semiconductor devices and applications, including MEMS/NEMS, integrated sensors, flexible electronics, and three-dimensional micro-architectures. Recent scientific breakthroughs and innovations from the Phan Lab include advanced nanomembranes for long-term implanted bio-barriers and bio-interfaces (SiC), wireless battery-free sensors (wearable and implantable using NFC and BLE), nanothin Si cantilevers for broad-frequency acoustic sensing, low-impedance flexible nanoporous electrodes for neurological recording and stimulation, and 3D electronics and sensors for organoids. Prof. Phan was a visiting scholar at the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Japan in 2016, Stanford University, CA, USA in 2017, and Northwestern University, IL, USA in 2019. Prof. Phan has published over 140 journal articles (e.g. Nature Communications, Science Advances, PNAS, Science Robotics, ACS Nano, Adv. Funct. Mater., Angew Chemie., Nano Energy), two US patents, and four book/book-chapters, all in micro and nanotechnologies. He received full scholarships for all if his higher education, including the Japanese Government scholarships (MEXT) for talented undergraduate & postgraduate students (2006 - 2013) at The University of Tokyo, Japan, and GUPRS & GUIPRS scholarships from Griffith for the doctoral course (2013-2016). Prof. Phan was honored with the GU publication award, the Springer outstanding theses award, the Australian Nanotechnology Network Fellowship, GU Postdoctoral Fellowship, the DECRA award, the Pro Vice-Chancellor ECR award (2019), the Griffith Vice-Chancellor Excellence in Research Award for ECR (2020), the GROW award from UNSW, and the Future Fellow from the Australian Research Council in 2024. He serves in the Executive Technical Program Committee of the IEEE International Conferences on MicroElectroMechanical Systems (IEEE MEMS).

Group website: https://www.phan-lab.com/

My Grants

Total: AU$12M (as of 31 December 2024)

2025 - 2028 NHMRC Idea - Soft Medical Robot (Second CI) AU$1,098,000
2025 - 2028 ARC Future Fellow (Sole CI) 3D electronics for organoids AU$1,046,000
2024 UNSW 3Rs Grant, Soft Robotic Artificial Heart Capable of Reproducing Myocardial Biomechanics (CI) AU$100,000
2024 Industrial Research Contract - Implanted mechanical sensors (Lead CI) AU$25,000
2023 MME RIS - Thermo evaporator system - CI AU$95,000
2023-2026 Nanomembranes for Long-term Implanted Flexible Electronics (Lead CI) AU$430,000
2022 MME RIS Grant -B1500A Semiconductor Parameter Analyzer (Lead CI) AU$75,000
2023 - 2028 ARC Research Hub for Connected Sensors for Health (CI) AU$5,000,000
2021-2022 Integrated Microelectronic Platform for Advanced health-Care

and Therapy (IMPACT Griffith Spotlight) (Lead CI) AU$393,960

2021-2023, ARC Linkage Project (LP200100016) - CI AU$400,000
2021-2022, IMCRC Grant - Development of SPR sensors (CI) AU$271,193
2021-2022, IMCRC Grant - SiC Schottky diode (CI) AU$287,402
2020, Griffith University Research Infrastructural Program (Lead CI) AU$250,000
2020-2022, ARC DECRA project (Sole CI) AU$431,378
2019-2021, Foundation for Australia-Japan Study – Research Project (CI) AU$144,573
2018-2019, Griffith-Simon Fraser University Collaboration Scheme (CI) AU$13,600
2018-2019 Australia-Germany Join Research Cooperation (Lead ECR) AU$12,000
2017-2019, Griffith University Postdoctoral Fellowship (Lead CI) AU$242,000
2018, Griffith University New Researcher Grant (Lead CI) AU$9,930
2017, Griffith Science Group Equipment Fund (Lead CI) AU$109,000
2017-2018, GU-PKU collaborative scheme (Lead CI) AU$8,000
2017, Australian Nanotechnology Network Overseas Fellowships AU$6,000

My Qualifications

Visiting postdoc, Stanford University, CA, 2017

Visiting postdoc, Northwestern University, IL, 2019

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Ph.D. (2016), Queensland Micro and Nanotechnology Centre, Griffith University, Australia

M.E. (2013), The University of Tokyo, Japan

B.E. - First Class Honors (2011), The University of Tokyo, Japan

My Awards

1. Japanese Government Scholarship (MEXT) for outstanding undergraduate students, 2006-2011

2. Japanese Government Scholarship (MEXT) for outstanding postgraduate students, 2011-2013

3. Griffith University Postgraduate Research and Griffith University International Postgraduate Research scholarships, 2013–2016

4. GGRS-IEIS Conference travel grants - Griffith University & Queensland Micro-Nanotechnology Centre 2015

5. Best paper award 2016 Int. Conf. Nanotech. Nanomater. Energy (ICNNE) (coauthor)

6. Springer outstanding thesis award

7. Australian delegate attending the 23rd World Micromachines Summit

8. ANN Oversea Fellowship

9. Griffith University Postdoctoral Fellowship (i.e. Vice Chancellor's postdoc fellowship) 2017-2019

10. Fresh Science Queensland 2018

11. Griffith University Excellent Internationalization Award (2018)

12. ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (2019)

13. Pro Vice Chancellor Early Career Researcher Award (2019)

14. Vice Chancellor Excellence in Research Award - ECR (2020)

15. Vice Chancellor - Research Team Award (Micro System Team -MST) (2021)

16. UNSW Open Access Publication Awards (2022 - 2023)

My Research Activities

At the Phan laboratory, we explore the physics of functional nanomaterials, with the ultimate goal being the development of innovative sensing technologies for niche applications. Our group also synthesizes and grows new material systems that are tolerant to harsh environments (e.g. high temperature, high corrosion, extreme irradiation, and bio-fluid) where the conventional silicon counterpart does not function properly. Applications of electronic devices developed at the Phan-Lab include but not limited to environmental monitoring, space applications, and bio-medical devices.