Xilin Liu

About Me       My Lab       My Research       My Teaching       Misc

I am an Assistant Professor in the Edward S. Rogers Sr. Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering, University of Toronto, Canada. I direct the X-lab, which is a diverse team of people who build integrated circuits (IC) and systems that aim to improve the lives of millions, if not billions, of people. I am an affiliated scientist at the University Health Network, KITE Resesrch Institute. I am also affiliated with the Centre for Analytics and Artificial Intelligence Engineering (CARTE) and the Center for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application (CRANIA). I obtained my Ph.D. degree under the supervision of Prof. Jan Van der Spiegel at the University of Pennsylvania, USA. Before joining the University of Toronto, I spent five years working at Qualcomm Inc., USA.

My research expertise includes analog and mixed-signal IC design, vertical system integration, and edge artificial intelligence (AI). My current research develops ICs and systems for advancing brain health, digital communication, and machine learning acceleration [see my publications]. My industrial experience includes contributions to a series of top-tier IC products including the world's first commercial 5G chipset. I have received the IEEE Solid-State Circuit Society (SSCS) 2016 Predoctoral Achievement Award. My first author papers have received 3 Best Papers Awards on top conferences. I was also the recipient of the Student-Research Preview Award of the 2014 IEEE International Solid-State Circuits Conference (ISSCC).

*** (New) I have 3-4 openings for graduate students joining in 2023/2024. *** If you are interested in my research or joining my team, please do not hesitate to contact me at xilinliu@ece.utoronto.ca. For prospective students and research fellows, please check our openings.

Links: [UofT Faculty Directory]  [UHN Scientist Directory]  [Google Scholar]  [ResearchGate]  [Email]

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Research Overview

My current research focuses on developing integrated circuits (ICs) and systems for advancing human health, wireless and wireline communication, and edge machine learning. I conduct interdisciplinary research on the following three themes:

Theme 1: Electronics for Neural Interfacing and Neuromodulation

Theme 2: High-performance Data Converters for Wireless and Wireline Communication

Theme 3: IC Design for Accelerating Edge Machine Learning

Currently, I conduct research at the University of Toronto in collaboration with multiple faculty members in the Faculty of Applied Science & Engineering and the University Health Network (UHN), industrial partners, and researchers around the world.

Learn more about my research projects and publications.

Selected News

  • 2023-06: Our team has received a research project grant (R01) from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in collaboration with Prof. Andrew G. Richardson at the University of Pennsylvania. This project will develop sleep modulation system on chip. Congratulations to the team!
  • 2023-03: Our team received the NSERC New Frontiers in Research Fund (NSERC NFRF)-Exploration in collaobration with Prof. Xinyu Liu and Prof. Rosalie Wang. Congratulations to the team!
  • 2023-03: Our team received a grant under the NSERC Research Tools and Instruments (NSERC RTI) grants program in collaboration with Prof. Roman Genov and Prof. Andre Simpson. Congratulations to the team!
  • 2022-07: Congratulations to our team for receiving a CIHR project grant for developing bidirectional, selective, and implantable nerve interface for restoring function after spinal cord injury.
  • 2022-06: Prof. Xilin Liu gave an invited talk at Analog Devices Inc. (ADI), USA.
  • 2022-05: Prof. Xilin Liu is selected to receive the 2022 Winter Term Teaching Award.
  • 2022-04: Our team is awarded the NSERC Discovery Grant for the next five years. This grant will support our work in developing the next generation neural interfacing devices.
  • 2022-04: Our team in collaboration with Prof. Jose Zarrifa received the EMHSeed grant from FASE UofT and KITE. This grant will be used to support the development of a low-cost, low-effort neuromodulation system.

    • More News from my lab

    Selected Awards

    awards
    • Best Student Paper Award, received on the 50th IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS), 2017
    •  Pre-doctoral Achievement Award of the IEEE Solid-State Circuit Society (SSCS), received on the 63rd International Solid-State Circuit Conference (ISSCC), 2016
    •  1st Place Best Paper Award received on the 11th IEEE Biomedical Circuits and Systems Conference (BioCAS), 2015
    •  ISSCC Student Research Preivew Award of the 61st IEEE Solid-State Circuit Conference (ISSCC), 2014
    •  Best Student Paper Award, Biomedical track the 47th IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS), 2014
    •  No. 1 Most Popular Paper among the all articles (since 1952) in IEEE Transactions on Circuits and Systems II: Express Briefs (TCAS-II) listed by IEEE Xplore, Nov. 2017
    •  Student Travel Grant Award, IEEE Solid-State Circuits Society, 2013
    •  Travel Grant for Student, IEEE Circuits and Systems Society, 2012
    •  Ph.D. Fellowship Award, Department of ESE, University of Pennsylvania, 2011

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