Fiona (Yihan) Wang

Fiona (Yihan) Wang is a graduate student in biological engineering, developing programmable, bioinspired materials that integrate metal coordination and peptide design. Her research integrates molecular design, deep learning, and computational modeling to create peptide-metal networks that respond to both biomechanical and biochemical cues, with applications in drug delivery, tissue scaffolds, and mechanosensitive diagnostics. As a MathWorks Fellow, Fiona will utilize MATLAB to construct, execute, and optimize atomistic simulations of dynamic metal-ligand interactions, automate molecular dynamics pipelines, and develop models that learn structure-function relationships. She uses MATLAB’s Symbolic Math Toolbox to define and manipulate molecular building blocks, the Image Processing Toolbox to extract structural features from simulation snapshots, and the Control System Toolbox to develop closed-loop routines that adjust simulation conditions. These tools enable motif construction, stress-strain analysis, and tracking of bond rupture under force. Fiona’s work could open the door to adaptive metal-peptide systems that sense biomechanical signals and trigger programmable responses, advancing next-generation biomaterials for precision medicine.