Publications

Featured publications                                     Google scholar

1. W. Heng, S. Yin, J. Min, C. Wang, H. Han, E. Shirzaei Sani, J. Li, Y. Song, H. B. Rossiter, W. Gao*. A smart mask for exhaled breath condensate harvesting and analysis. Science, 2024, 385, 954–961. Download PDF

Highlighted by Science, NIH, NIHLBI, Forbes et. al. ESI Hot Paper (0.1 %)

2. W. Heng†,  C. Putz†, W. Tang†, J. Min, L. E. Lehner, S. Demchyshyn, G. Kim, C. Wang, B. Hailegnaw, E. Rippatha, M. Scharber, M.-J. Kim, Y. Chen, Z. Fan*, M. Kaltenbrunner*, W. Gao*. A battery-free smart mask for long-term exhaled breath biochemical sensing. Nature Sensors, 2026, 1, 328–340. Download PDF

Highlighted by Nature Sensors, Caltch News et. al. 

3. W. Heng, S. Yin, Y. Chen, W. Gao*. Exhaled breath analysis: from laboratory test to wearable sensing. IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering, 2024, 18, 50–73. Download PDF

The smart mask breath sampling and analysis technology related to papers 1–3 above has been applied to a respiratory infectious disease screening research project in Africa supported by the Gates Foundation.

4. W. Heng†, S. A. Solomon†, W. Gao*. Flexible electronics and devices as human–machine interfaces for medical robotics. Advanced Materials, 2022, 34, 2107902. Download PDF

ESI Hot Paper (0.1 %), Among most downloaded papers in Advanced Materials.

5. W. Heng†, G. Yang, G. Pang†, Z. Ye, H. Lv, J. Du, G. Zhao, Z. Pang. Fluid-driven soft CoboSkin for safer human–robot collaboration: Fabrication and adaptation. Advanced Intelligent Systems, 2021, 3, 2000038. Download PDF

All publications

20. C. Xu, H. Zheng, W. Heng, R. Liu, J. MarionSims, J. Li, P. Jin, R. Y. Tay, J. Min, G. Wang, Y. Yue, W. Gao*. Human-inspired time-series health evaluation with an adaptive multimodal electronic skin, Science Advances, 2026, 12, eaeg5606. in press.

19. Y. Xu, X. Ma, K. Fan, J. Min, J. Qu, W. Heng, J. Li, S. Tang, G. Kim, R. Liu, S. Yin, W. Li, W. Gao*. Strain-resilient intrinsically stretchable electrochemical biointerfaces. Science, 2026, 392, (6801), eaed1630. Download PDF

18. W. Heng†,  C. Putz†, W. Tang†, J. Min, L. E. Lehner, S. Demchyshyn, G. Kim, C. Wang, B. Hailegnaw, E. Rippatha, M. Scharber, M.-J. Kim, Y. Chen, Z. Fan*, M. Kaltenbrunner*, W. Gao*. A battery-free smart mask for long-term exhaled breath biochemical sensing. Nature Sensors, 2026, 1, 328–340. Download PDF

17. M.-J. Kim, J. A. Lasalde-Ramírez, W. Heng, W. Gao*. Biomolecular profiling for noninvasive health monitoring. Nature Biotechnology, 2026, DOI: 10.1038/s41587-026-03050-2. Download PDF

16. S. Yin, D. R. Yao, I. Kim, W. Zhou, W. Heng, W. Li, S. Tang, X. Ma, Y. Xu, G. Kim, H. Han, K. Fan, C. Daraio, W. Gao*. Amphibious passive adaptation in untethered soft robots. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2026, 123, e2532988123. Download PDF

15. J. Tu, J. Yeom, J. C. Ulloa, S. A. Solomon, J. Min, W. Heng, G. Kim, J. Dao, R. Vemu, M. Pang, D.-H. Kim, W. Gao*. Stressomic: A wearable microfluidic biosensor for dynamic profiling of multiple stress hormones in sweat. Science Advances, 2025, 11, eadx6491. Download PDF

14. S. Shin, R. Liu, Y. Yang, J. A. Lasalde-Ramírez, G. Kim, C. Won, J. Min, C. Wang, K. Fan, H. Han, C. Uwakwe, W. Heng, T. K. Hsiai, Z. Li, J. D. FitzGerald, W. Gao*. A bioinspired microfluidic wearable sensor for multi-day sweat sampling, transport, and metabolic analysis. Science Advances, 2025, 11, eadw9024. Download PDF

13. C. Wang, K. Fan, E. Shirzaei Sani, J. A. Lasalde-Ramírez, W. Heng, J. Min, S. A. Solomon, M. Wang, J. Li, H. Han, G. Kim, S. Shin, A. Seder, C.-D. Shih, D. G. Armstrong, W. Gao*. A microfluidic wearable device for wound exudate management and analysis in human chronic wounds. Science Translational Medicine, 2025, 17, eadt0882. Download PDF

12. W. Heng, S. Yin, J. Min, C. Wang, H. Han, E. Shirzaei Sani, J. Li, Y. Song, H. B. Rossiter, W. Gao*. A smart mask for exhaled breath condensate harvesting and analysis. Science, 2024, 385, 954–961. Download PDF

11. W. Heng, S. Yin, Y. Chen, W. Gao*. Exhaled breath analysis: from laboratory test to wearable sensing. IEEE Reviews in Biomedical Engineering, 2024, 18, 50–73. Download PDF

10. W. Heng, D. R. Yao, W. Gao*. Miniaturized soft batteries for biomedical implants. Nature Chemical Engineering, 2024, 1, 675–677. Download PDF

9. S. Yin, D. R. Yao, Y. Song, W. Heng, X. Ma, H. Han, W. Gao*. Wearable and implantable soft robots. Chemical Reviews, 2024, 124, 11585–11636. Download PDF

8. C. Xu, Y. Song, J. R. Sempionatto, S. A. Solomon, Y. Yu, H. Y. Y. Nyein, R. Y. Tay, J. Li, W. Heng, J. Min, A. Lao, T. K. Hsiai, J. A. Sumner, W. Gao*. A physicochemical sensing electronic skin for stress response monitoring. Nature Electronics, 2024, 7, 168–179. Download PDF

7. Y. Song, R. Y. Tay, J. Li, C. Xu, J. Min, E. Shirzaei Sani, G. Kim, W. Heng, I. Kim, W. Gao*. 3D-printed epifluidic electronic skin for machine learning-powered multimodal health surveillance. Science Advances, 2023, 9, eadi6492. Download PDF

6. W. Heng†, S. A. Solomon†, W. Gao*. Flexible electronics and devices as human–machine interfaces for medical robotics. Advanced Materials, 2022, 34, 2107902. Download PDF

5. W. Heng, G. Yang, W. S. Kim, K. Xu. Emerging wearable flexible sensors for sweat analysis. Bio-Design and Manufacturing, 2022, 5, 64–84. Download PDF

4. W. Heng†, G. Yang, G. Pang†, Z. Ye, H. Lv, J. Du, G. Zhao, Z. Pang. Fluid-driven soft CoboSkin for safer human–robot collaboration: Fabrication and adaptation. Advanced Intelligent Systems, 2021, 3, 2000038. Download PDF

3. G. Pang†, G. Yang, W. Heng†, Z. Ye, X. Huang, H.-Y. Yang, Z. Pang. CoboSkin: Soft robot skin with variable stiffness for safer human–robot collaboration. IEEE Transactions on Industrial Electronics, 2020, 68, 3303–3314. Download PDF

2. W. Heng†, G. Pang†, F. Xu, X. Huang, Z. Pang, G. Yang. Flexible insole sensors with stably connected electrodes for gait phase detection. Sensors, 2019, 19, 5197. Download PDF

1. W. Heng, G. Pang, Z. V. Gbouna, Z. Pang, K. Yi, H. Yang, G. Yang. Facile fabrication of highly soft tactile sensor based on porous sponge with geometry effect on sensing characteristics. IEEE IFETC, 2019, 1–3.