Mingui Sun, PhD, received a BS degree in instrumental and industrial automation in 1982 from the Shenyang Chemical Engineering Institute in Shenyang, China, and an MS degree in electrical engineering in 1986 from the University of Pittsburgh, where he also earned a PhD degree in electrical engineering in 1989. He was later appointed to the faculty in the Department of Neurological Surgery.
Dr. Sun’s research interests include neurophysiological signals and systems, biosensor designs, brain-computer interface, bioelectronics, machine learning and artificial intelligence. He has more than 460 publications.
Dr. Sun's publications can be reviewed through the National Library of Medicine's publication database.
Specialized Areas of Interest
Professional Organization Membership
Education & Training
- BS, Instrumentation/Industrial Automation, Shenyang Chemical Institute, 1982
- MS, Electrical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, 1986
- PhD, Electrical Engineering, University of Pittsburgh, 1989
Research Activities
Dietary Assessment Using AI Technology
Due to the increased adoption of unhealthy lifestyle, such as high-calorie, low-nutrient diet and decreased physical activity, chronic diseases are rising rapidly. In order for the research community to study lifestyle and develop effective interventional strategies, Dr. Sun is developing a miniature wearable device pinned on the chest region to assess diet, physical activity and sedentary behavior. The image data are processed using the AI technology to recognize food, estimate portion size, and evaluate nutrition contents.
Long-Term Monitoring of Blood Sodium for Hypertension Prevention
Sodium chloride (NaCl), or salt, is an important nutrient for maintaining health. It is also an indispensable seasoning in every home playing a key role in enhancing food flavor. Consequently, most Americans consume too much salt. Strong evidence indicates that long-term excessive salt intake causes hypertension, or high blood pressure (BP). Unfortunately, hypertension has become a pandemic in the U.S. with nearly half of adults (about 120 million) having high BP. Dr. Sun is developing a new wearable device which can assess the level of sodium concentration in the blood, long-term at a very low cost.