For more than three decades, Queen’s researcher Dr. Yan-Fei Liu (Electrical and Computer Engineering) has been designing technologies that help modern electronics work more efficiently. It’s a body of work that has now led to his election as a 2025 Fellow of the National Academy of Inventors, one of the highest honours for academic innovators.

Dr. Liu has developed a significant portfolio of patented technologies, with seventy-eight issued U.S. patents. His work centres on the circuits that guide the flow of power inside modern electronics, a part of engineering that quietly shapes how devices perform. When these systems are designed well, phones charge faster, data centres waste less energy, and electric vehicles respond more smoothly.

Over the years, his lab has introduced new approaches that make power converters smaller and more efficient. His team has also developed charging systems that reduce heat and speed up charging, along with control methods that support renewable energy and electric vehicle technologies. These advances reflect a steady focus on improving how power systems perform in real-world conditions.

“Invention has always been at the heart of my work,” says Dr. Liu. “Each design starts with a problem that needs a clear and useful solution.”

Ideas that move into the world

Dr. Liu’s ideas often become part of commercial technology. Industry partners seek out his lab because his designs address the challenges they face in developing reliable, energy-efficient products. Many of these industry connections have been developed and supported through Queen’s Partnerships and Innovation, which works with Dr. Liu to advance his patents and help bring his designs into commercial use.

Magna International has drawn on his patents to improve solar chargers and electric vehicle power systems, achieving more efficient and lighter designs. Menlo Micro has used his work to help develop a new relay switch that operates with far less energy than traditional models. Other companies, including Potentia Semiconductors, SMA Solar Technology, and DigiQ Power, have incorporated his concepts into products that support communications, renewable energy systems, and consumer electronics.

These collaborations also give students in Dr. Liu’s lab experience with moving ideas along from early tests to working technology. They troubleshoot prototypes, study performance with industry engineers, and see how design decisions affect the final product. 

“When a design moves from the lab into industry use, it shows students how practical research can be,” says Dr. Liu. “Seeing a design reach the marketplace shows them that their work has real value.”

Joining a global community of inventors

The National Academy of Inventors is a member organization that brings together universities, research institutes, and government agencies across the United States and around the world. More than 4,600 individual members are affiliated with over 260 institutions in the academy’s global network. Within this community, 2,068 researchers hold the distinction of NAI Fellow, an honour given to inventors whose work has made a tangible impact on quality of life, economic development, and the welfare of society.

Canada has only twenty-two NAI Fellows, and Dr. Liu is the first researcher from Queen’s to receive this distinction. His election places him within a small national cohort and connects his work to an international group of innovators whose inventions have shaped modern technology.

“Dr. Liu’s election as an NAI Fellow reflects the global impact of his research and the strength of his contributions as an inventor,” says Jim Banting, Assistant Vice-Principal (Partnerships and Innovation). “His achievements demonstrate how Queen’s researchers are advancing technologies that can shape the future of energy and electronics.”