Dr Wei Wang
- Sept 2014 to Oct 2019 | Doctor of Engineering, Department of Architecture and Civil Engineering, the City University of Hong Kong
- Aug 2013 to Jul 2019 | Doctor of Fire Safety Engineering, State Key Laboratory of Fire Science, the University of Science & Technology of China
Dr. Wei Wang is a Lecturer and ARC DECRA Fellow at the School of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Sydney. His research focuses on sustainable and smart materials, energy storage safety, infrastructure resilience, and advanced manufacturing. With over a decade of experience in fire safety engineering and materials science, he aims to develop next-generation fire-resistant, energy-efficient, and environmentally sustainable technologies. Dr. Wang earned dual PhDs in Materials and Manufacturing Engineering from the City University of Hong Kong (CityU) and the University of Science & Technology of China (USTC) in 2019. That same year, he joined the ARC Fire Training Centre at UNSW, where he expanded his research into bio-inspired flame retardants, fire-resistant polymer composites, and fire safety in new energy battery materials. His work bridges fundamental research with real-world applications, as evidenced by his active collaborations with industry partners in fire-resistant polymer foams and government agencies such as Fire and Rescue NSW (FRNSW) on electric vehicle fire safety. Dr. Wang has published over 110 peer-reviewed journal articles, two book chapters, two conference papers, and two granted patents, accumulating over 4,000 citations (Google Scholar H-index: 39). His research impact is recognised globally, earning him a place among Stanford University’s Top 2% Highly Cited Scientists (2021–2023). In 2022, he was awarded the prestigious ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA 2023) for his project "Multifunctional Biomass Coatings for Electrostatic Induced Fire Hazards”. Beyond fire safety, his research vision extends to infrastructure resilience, net-zero energy solutions, energy-efficient materials, and smart sensing technologies. His interdisciplinary expertise includes: Sustainable and smart materials for energy storage, green manufacturing, and resilient infrastructure; Net-zero energy solutions, including thermal insulation, waste heat recovery, and energy-efficient composites; Smart and adaptive materials with self-healing, self-cleaning, and multifunctional properties; Energy storage safety, particularly in fire-safe lithium-ion batteries and hydrogen fuel applications; Advanced materials modelling and AI-driven simulation for optimising material properties.
- Publications
- Media
- Grants
- Awards
- Research Activities
- Engagement
- Teaching and Supervision
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2023: Wei Wang, Guan Heng Yeoh, UNSW MME School Infrastructure Scheme. $50,000 AUD
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2023: Wei Wang. University of New South Wales-Faculty Matching Funds (Totalling $90.000 k AUD), Grant number: RG230135.
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2022: Wei Wang. the ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA 2023). Titled “Multifunctional Biomass Coatings for Electrostatic Induced Fire Hazards”. (Totalling $436.554k), Funder reference number: DE230100180
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2021: Anthony Chun Yin Yuen, Guan Heng Yeoh, Shaun Chan, Wei Wang, Eric Wai Ming Lee, Nadia Chek Lun Chow, UNSW International Seed Grant 2021. Titled “Artificial Neural Network Modelling Integrated with Molecular Dynamics Data for Detailed Description of CFD Pyrolytic Process”. (Totalling $5k)
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2023 | The World Top 2% Highly Cited Scientists, Stanford University
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2022 | The “People’s Choice” Award, UNSW ECAN Committee.
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2023 | ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award, ARC DECRA Fellow, Australian Research Council
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2022 | The World Top 2% Highly Cited Scientists, Stanford University
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2021 | The World Top 2% Highly Cited Scientists, Stanford University
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2019 | Excellent Doctoral Dissertation Nomination Award of USTC, USTC
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2017 | the Pollyanna Chu Excellent Doctoral Scholarship, Chinese Academy of Sciences
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2017 | Second-Class Academic Scholarship, USTC
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2016 | the China National Scholarship for Doctoral Student, Ministry of Education
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2016 | First-Class Academic Scholarship, USTC
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2016 | Peter Ho Conference Scholarship, CityU
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2015 | ‘Dushu Lake’ Scholarship in USTC CityU Joint Advanced Research Centre
Dr Wang’s research focuses on the following areas:
- Sustainable and Smart Materials: Development of biomass-based, recyclable, and multifunctional materials for applications in energy storage, construction, and advanced manufacturing.
- Infrastructure Resilience and Sustainability: Designing high-performance, durable, and low-carbon materials to enhance climate resilience, energy efficiency, and circular economy adoption in infrastructure.
- Net-Zero Energy Solutions: Advancing energy-efficient coatings, thermal insulation materials, and waste heat recovery technologies to contribute to net-zero carbon goals.
- Smart and Adaptive Composites: Engineering self-healing, self-cleaning, and intelligent materials with real-time sensing and actuation for enhanced safety and durability.
- Energy Storage and Battery Safety: Innovating fire-safe and high-performance battery materials to improve the safety, efficiency, and sustainability of electric vehicles and grid storage.
- Advanced Materials Modelling and Simulation: Utilising molecular dynamics, density functional theory (DFT), and AI-driven modelling to optimise material design and performance at multiple scales.
- Thermal Management and Energy Efficiency: Enhancing heat transfer, phase change materials, and passive cooling strategies for smart buildings, EVs, and industrial applications.
- AI-Driven Material Engineering: Integrating machine learning, IoT, and digital twins to predict material behaviour, optimise manufacturing, and improve infrastructure monitoring.
- Green Manufacturing and Circular Economy: Developing low-carbon, biodegradable, and recyclable materials to minimise waste, reduce environmental impact, and promote sustainable production.
- Multifunctional Protective Systems: Designing fire-resistant, EMI-shielding, antibacterial, and high-strength composites for aerospace, defence, and advanced engineering applications.
My Editorial Activities
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Guest Editor, Editorial Board, Energy Materials (Impact factor: 11.8), Special Issue: Advancements in Safety Materials for Next-Generation Energy Technologies
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Guest Editor, Polymers (IF: 5.0), Special Issue: Flame-Retardant Polymeric Mater: Synthesis Application
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Topic Editor, Molecules (Impact Factor: 4.6), Special Issue: Natural Polymers for Fire Safety
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Topic Editor, Polymers (IF: 5.0), Special Issue: Advanced Polymers for High-Performance Batteries
My Research Supervision
Postdoctoral Fellow:
Dr Chengfei Cao (Dec 2024 - present, Primary Supervision)
PhD students:
Mr. Yuan Xien Lee (T1 2024 - present, Joint Supervision)
Miss Yu Lei (T1 2024 - present, Primary Supervision)
Miss Xueyi Zhao (Incoming in T2 2025, Primary Supervision)
UG and PG students:
Mr. Liqiao Deng (PG, Primary Supervision, T2, 2024)
Mr. Yihao Jiang (PG, Primary Supervision, T2, 2024)
Miss. Tan Qian (UG, Primary Supervision, T3, 2024)
Mr. Qirui Jiang (PG, Primary Supervision, T3, 2024)
Mr. Dongran Ding (PG, Primary Supervision, T3, 2024)
Mr. Qiang Deng (PG, Primary Supervision, T3, 2024)
Mr. Zhiwen Zhang (PG, Primary Supervision, T1, 2025)
Mr. Zeyu Wang (PG, Primary Supervision, T1, 2025)
Mr. Chengguang Wen (PG, Primary Supervision, T1, 2025)
My Teaching
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Vertically Integrated Project (VIP) course “Fighting Fires with Science”
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Undergraduate and postgraduate Thesis