Meet the Finalists for the 2026 Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature

Amy Bilton, University of Toronto, Canada

Amy Bilton is an Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Toronto and Director of the Centre for Global Engineering. She leads the Water and Energy Research Lab, which bridges sustainable water technologies with the human factors that ensure real-world impact. Her work, spanning India, Bangladesh, Vietnam, Mexico, and Nicaragua, has been published in leading journals. A fellow of Engineers Canada, she has earned multiple awards and champions engineering solutions with global impact.

“Who cares if you build the most efficient water technology if no one wants to use it? Engineering solutions must integrate both technical elements and an understanding of what people need and want. Only by combining these elements can we create technologies that are not just innovative, but truly transformative—improving quality of life for the people and communities who need them most.”

Hong Chen, Washington University, St. Louis, USA

Dr. Hong Chen is a Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Neurosurgery at Washington University in St. Louis. She leads a lab that integrates neuroscience and ultrasound engineering to create noninvasive technologies for brain mapping, diagnosis, and therapy. A recipient of the NIH Director’s Pioneer Award and a Senior Member of the National Academy of Inventors, she also earned the Outstanding Faculty Mentor and Chair’s Teaching Awards. As an entrepreneur, she translates ultrasound innovations toward accessible brain care.

“I believe technology should expand human possibilities with empathy and creativity. My team is transforming ultrasound into wearable brain interfaces that can diagnose and treat brain diseases. By building with sound, not scalpels, we hope to make brain care safe, affordable, and available to everyone. I want the next generation, especially young women, to see that when imagination meets engineering, technology can change lives and shape a better world.”

Xiwen Gong, University of Michigan, USA

Xiwen Gong is an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering at the University of Michigan, after completing a postdoctoral fellowship at Stanford University in 2020. She obtained Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering from the University of Toronto in 2018, and B.S. in Materials Physics from Fudan University in 2014. Xiwen’s research focuses on the molecular and interfacial design of solution-processed semiconductors, including perovskites and quantum dots, for efficient, stable, and multifunctional optoelectronic and bioelectronic devices.

“Our research aims to power technologies that improve human lives and sustain our planet. By innovating electronic materials and devices from the atomic scale upward, we create soft and biocompatible electronics that conform to biological tissues, enabling continuous health monitoring and therapeutic intervention—advancing precision and personalized healthcare. At the same time, leverage these molecularly engineered materials to develop low-cost, stable, and scalable solar cells that accelerate the global transition to clean and renewable energy.”

Xiaona Li, Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, China

Xiaona Li is an Associate Professor at the Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, where she leads a collaborative and innovative research team. Her research aims to expand the technical route of the halide system in all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries. She does this by developing a new generation of halide solid electrolyte materials and elucidating the mechanisms of solid-state ion conduction, with the ultimate goal of significantly improving the performance of all-solid-state batteries.

“Our research aims to develop efficient and safe all-solid-state batteries to reduce fossil fuel reliance and greenhouse gas emissions, ultimately accelerating the global transition to a cleaner, more sustainable future by making advanced energy storage solutions more accessible, especially in developing regions.”

Tina Tse Nga Ng, University of California, San Diego, USA

Tina Tse Nga Ng is a Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at University of California San Diego. Her research elucidates fundamental device physics in organic semiconductors and overcomes higher-level integration issues to develop flexible electronics for optoelectronics, wearable sensors, and energy storage systems, towards seamless integration of electronic functionalities in human-computer interfaces. Her innovations in scalable organic sensors and printing integration have earned recognitions from IEEE, National Academy of Inventors, and industrial consortiums.”

“Building on recent advances in bioinspired electronics, my research aims to combine next-generation organic photosensors with embedded computing capabilities to analyze data in real-time at low power. Such in-sensor computing platforms will minimize redundancy and delays, save on energy costs, and support faster decisions across sensor networks, bringing smarter, more efficient technologies to address our societal needs in environmental monitoring, medical imaging, and navigation, and beyond.”

Ellen Roche, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, USA

Ellen Roche is a Professor at the Institute for Medical Engineering and Science and the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology where she directs the Therapeutic Technology Design and Development Lab.  She completed her PhD at Harvard University School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Her research focuses on applying innovative technologies to the development of implantable and wearable medical devices and building robotic and computational simulators for enhanced testing of device/tissue interaction. Dr. Roche was employed in the medical device industry as a research and development engineer and is the recipient of multiple awards including the Fulbright International Science and Technology Award, the Wellcome Trust Seed Awards in Science, a National Science Foundation CAREER Award, an NIH Trailblazer Award, a Charles H. Hood Award for Excellence in Child Health Research, the Harold E. Edgerton Award for Outstanding Faculty Achievement and the 2025 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers. 

“I am humbled and grateful to receive the Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature for women spearheading advancements in technology and driving positive change for society and the planet. This award will enable me to develop innovative engineering solutions and better understand how medical devices interact with the body — all with the goal of advancing cardiovascular and reproductive health for women, a cause that deeply motivates my work.”

Zhen Xu, University of Michigan, USA

Zhen Xu is the Li Ka Shing Endowed Professor of Biomedical Engineering and Professor of Radiology and Neurosurgery at the University of Michigan, and Fellow of National Academy of Inventors, American Institute of Medicine and Bioengineering, and IEEE. She is a co-inventor of histotripsy, the first non-invasive ablation technology that uses external ultrasound to mechanically liquefy the target tissue without incision. Her work has led to the FDA approval of histotripsy treatment of liver tumors.

“My team has invented histotripsy to allow non-invasive surgery using ultrasound without incision or injury. After the FDA approval in 2023, histotripsy has been used to successfully treat over 2000 patients with liver tumors in the world. I am continuing research to rapidly expand histotripsy to treat multitudes of diseases and hope to benefit of millions of patients, including patients with tumors in the kidney, pancreas, brain, prostate, breast, and thyroid, as well as neurological diseases such as hemorrhagic stroke and epilepsy!”