Dr. Ruohan Zhang

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Biography

Ruohan Zhang is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Northwestern Engineering. His research focuses on embodied AI, human-robot interaction, brain-computer interfaces, cognitive science, and the societal impact of AI automation and AI art design. He aims to develop human-centered, human-inspired, and human-compatible AI and robotics. His work is structured around the pillars of human tasks, human data, and human interfaces. He has developed a comprehensive robotic benchmark, BEHAVIOR, which simulates 1,000 essential household tasks and integrates large-scale survey studies in virtual, interactive, ecologically realistic environments. Zhang's goal is to achieve human-level AI capabilities to allow robots to perform tasks while learning from diverse human data through novel interfaces. He is also working on enhancing the generalization capabilities of learning-based robotic systems for everyday tasks by leveraging foundation models and developing intelligent brain-robot interfaces to assist older adults and individuals with disabilities. He has received nominations for paper awards at conferences such as CoRL and ICRA and has served on program committees for multiple conferences and journals in machine learning, robotics, and cognitive science.

Research Interests

Experience

Assistant Professor

2026-09-01 — Present

Northwestern University • Evanston, IL

Teaching and conducting research in the field of Artificial Intelligence and Robotics.

Awards

#

Best Paper Nominations

Requirements for Northwestern University

Doctorate Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Total
Required:90
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
U.S. Bachelor's degree or equivalent
Application Checklist
  • Online application
  • Transcripts
  • Letters of recommendation
  • Statement of purpose
  • Resume/CV
  • TOEFL/IELTS scores (if applicable)
Specialization Notes

Standard PhD requirements for TGS departments including Chemistry, Physics, and Sociology.