Luyao (Sunshine) Zhang is an Assistant Professor of Economics and Senior Research Scientist at the Data Science Research Center at Duke Kunshan University (DKU). Her current research interests are the interplay of computational and economic science and the application of groundbreaking technologies, including artificial intelligence, blockchain and cryptography, and innovative computing.
She is deeply committed to fostering interdisciplinary collaborations that yield research with both profound insights and practical applications. Her research program, “Trust Mechanism Design on Blockchain: An Interdisciplinary Approach of Game Theory, Reinforcement Learning, and Human-AI Interactions,” is currently funded by the National Science Foundation of China. The National Collegiate Artificial Intelligence and Big Data Innovation Alliance awarded her the 60 Pioneers in Blockchain Innovation.
As a contributor to the broader academic and professional community, Dr. Zhang is the Founding President of SciEcon CIC, a UK-registered non-profit dedicated to fostering integrated capabilities in research, innovation, and leadership for interdisciplinary studies. Moreover, she has spearheaded research initiatives and developer programs supported by leading entities in Web3, including the Ethereum Foundation, Dfinity Foundation, and Primitive Lane.
She serves as an Associate Editor for the IEEE Transactions on Computational Social Systems and the Academic Editor for the open-source book project “Blockchain Pioneering the Web3 Infrastructure for an Intelligent World,” published by IntechOpen. She also holds roles on program committees across various academic conferences that transcend traditional disciplinary boundaries.
