The IMS Polymer Program Director’s Award recognizes a polymer program faculty member who has demonstrated excellence and leadership in research, teaching, and service to the program.   This year, Yi Zhang has been recognized for his research contributions to implantable neurochemical sensors, CRISPR-based molecular diagnostics, and wearable molecular sensors.

After completing his fourth year at UConn’s Institute of Materials Science, Dr. Zhang has received much recognition for his research. He was invited to present at five seminars in spring 2025, has received multiple grants from the National Institutes of Health and the National Science Foundation, and has published an article in Nature Communications. His research lab has been growing, now including three postdoctoral research scholars and eight graduate students.  The lab has been productive, submitting more than 10 publications this past spring.