Meet the 2025 Shortlist for the Sony Women in Technology Award with Nature

Kiana Aran, University of California at San Diego, USA

Dr. Kiana Aran, Professor of Bioengineering and Medicine at UC San Diego, is pioneering the integration of modern electronics with biology to develop technologies for precision medicine. She has received numerous engineering and product awards, including honors from the US National Academy of Inventors. She co-founded Cardea, later acquired for its graphene biosensors, and co-founded CRISPR QC to enhance gene-editing precision. An advocate for diversity, she established a non-profit to mentor women engineers and promotes international scientific collaboration.

“It’s an incredible time to be a technology developer. For generations, we engineered tools like microscopes to explore cellular landscapes and sequencers to unlock life’s fabric. Now, we don’t just understand biology—we can engineer biological machineries. This evolution empowers us to engineer technologies that integrate biological elements to tackle complex human challenges. The fusion of biology and electronics fills me with wonder and a sense of mission as we explore possibilities that surpass traditional engineering boundaries.”

LinkedIn: Kiana Aran

Hatice Gunes, University of Cambridge, United Kingdom

Hatice Gunes is a Full Professor of Affective Intelligence and Robotics and the director of the AFAR Lab at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Computer Science and Technology. She spearheads award-winning research on multimodal, social, and affective intelligence for AI systems, particularly embodied agents and robots, by cross-fertilizing research in the fields of Machine Learning, Affective Computing, and Human Nonverbal Behavior Understanding. She is a Fellow of the EPSRC, Staff Fellow of Trinity Hall, a former Faculty Fellow of the Alan Turing Institute, and a former President of the Association for the Advancement of Affective Computing.

“My long-term research vision is to advance humanity’s co-evolution with technology, fostering meaningful human-AI interactions to address critical issues in health, equality, and sustainability. I aim to drive positive behavioral change, empowering individuals through technology. By integrating psychology, design, AI, affective computing, and social robotics, I aspire to create innovative solutions that enhance life quality, promote inclusivity, and support equitable, sustainable progress, ensuring technology serves as a force for well-being and societal resilience.”

X: @HatijeGyunesh, @AFAR_Cambridge; LinkedIn: Hatice Gunes

Jiawen Li, University of Adeleide, Australia

Dr. Jiawen Li is a highly adaptable biomedical engineer leading the intravascular imaging program at the University of Adelaide as an Associate Professor. She received her bachelor's degree from Zhejiang University in 2010, and her PhD from University of California Irvine in 2015. Her innovations have led to her being selected as Fellow of National Health and Medical Research Council, National Heart Foundation and L’Oréal-UNESCO, and winning numerous prestigious honors.

“Accurately identifying high-risk plaques is crucial to preventing heart attack. I have developed a series of imaging devices, as slim as a few strands of human hair, that are capable of detecting these plaques. One such device, a 3D-nano-printed imaging device, provides high sensitivity and near-cellular-resolution that is not possible with existing technologies. With the clinical adoption we are actively working towards, our devices hold great hope in optimizing treatment plans for each patient.”

X: @DrJiawenLi; LinkedIn: Jiawen Li

Xiaona Li Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo, China

Dr. Xiaona Li is the Associate Professor at Eastern Institute of Technology, Ningbo in China. She leads a collaborative and innovative research team in the fields of halide solid electrolytes and all-solid-state batteries. Her laboratory research aims to expand the technical route of the halide system in all-solid-state lithium-ion batteries by developing a new generation of halide solid electrolyte materials and elucidating the mechanisms of solid-state ion conduction, significantly improving the performance of all-solid-state power batteries.

”Our research aims to develop efficient and safe all-solid-state batteries to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and decrease greenhouse gas emissions. By optimizing solid-state batteries for cost-effective production, we can help make advanced energy storage solutions more accessible to a wider audience, particularly in developing regions where energy storage is crucial for stability and growth. I believe that our research can contribute to accelerating the transition to a cleaner and more sustainable future.”

Amanda Randles, Duke University, USA

Amanda Randles is the Alfred Winborne Mordecai and Victoria Stover Mordecai Associate Professor of Biomedical Sciences at Duke University, with expertise in high performance computing, machine learning, and personalized modeling for disease diagnostics and treatment. She is an ACM Prize in Computing, NIH Pioneer, and NSF CAREER Award recipient. Randles received her Ph.D. in Applied Physics from Harvard and, prior to graduate school, worked at IBM on the Blue Gene supercomputing team.

“With digital twin technology and cutting-edge computational methods, I strive to support earlier diagnosis and personalized approaches in managing heart disease and understanding cancer progression. By capturing complex biophysical processes with unprecedented accuracy, our work brings powerful, data-driven tools into healthcare, enhancing medical decision-making and fostering proactive patient care for a healthier society.”

X: @RandlesLab, @RandlesLabPubs; Instagram: @prof_amanda_randles; LinkedIn: Professor Amanda Randles

Yating Wan, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia

Dr. Yating Wan is an Assistant Professor at KAUST, specializing in Silicon Photonics with a focus on integrating on-chip light sources. She has made significant contributions to Si CMOS-compatible light sources through her research at the Intel® Research Center on heterogeneously integrated quantum dot lasers. Dr. Wan's work aims to advance the efficiency and application of photonic technologies in communication and computing.

"My goal is to drive sustainable technological advancements through the development of integrated silicon photonics. By enhancing the capabilities and reducing the energy consumption of photonic devices, we can create more environmentally friendly technologies. These innovations are not just about advancing knowledge; they're about building a future where technology improves life on earth without compromising our planet's health."

LinkedIn: Yating Wan

Ying Wu, King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Saudi Arabia

Dr. Ying Wu received her Bachelor’s degree in Physics from Nanjing University, China, in 2002 and her PhD from the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology in 2008. Following postdoctoral research, she joined King Abdullah University of Science and Technology in Saudi Arabia, progressing from assistant professor to associate professor (2017) and full (2024) professor. Her research centers on designing artificial materials to manipulate wave behaviors, including sound isolation, radiation control, and energy absorption.

“My research aims to surpass current limits, developing innovative models and techniques with transformative potential. With this work, I seek to address fundamental scientific challenges while creating technologies that improve daily life, including reducing noise pollution, boosting sound emission in compact speakers, and enhancing medical imaging resolution. By redefining what’s possible, my team aspires to advance solutions that tackle today’s pressing issues and promote sustainable, lasting innovation for a better future.”