James Mah, an internationally recognized authority on the research and development of 3D facial imaging technology and modeling for diagnostic purposes, is a UNLV School of Dental Medicine clinical sciences professor who also serves as the program director of orthodontics and dentofacial orthopedics. His research focuses on orthodontic aligners, treatment planning and therapeutics, cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT), intra-oral scanners, and the use of botulinum toxin for bruxism. He is also well-versed in the use of dental records for anthropology and forensics analysis.

In addition to research, Mah — who joined UNLV's faculty in 2005 — teaches courses on biomechanics, radiology, introduction to research, advanced biomedical sciences, craniofacial growth & development, and practice management within the orthodontic residency program. His academic career spans over 20 years, with prior academic appointments at the University of Southern California and Harvard School of Dental Medicine. 

Mah has authored numerous publications, textbooks, and book chapters and regularly presents nationally and internationally. He is an associate editor of the Journal of Aligner Orthodontics and a reviewer for the American Journal of Orthodontics & Dentofacial Orthopedics, Journal of Clinical Orthodontics, and the Angle Orthodontist.

Bing Zhang is a distinguished professor in UNLV’s department of physics and astronomy who researches high-energy astrophysics, which explores the energy emitted by powerful stellar masses, like black holes and neutron stars. Zhang is especially knowledgeable about fast radio bursts (FRBs) and gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), the most luminous explosions in the universe.

Zhang’s main research interests include transient astrophysics, jet and accretion physics, multi-wavelength astrophysics, pulsars, gravitational waves, X-rays to low frequency radio waves, and other general topics relating to astrophysics. His research papers have been cited over 35,000 times by peers in his field, and his work has been recognized by NASA.

A frequent media source to top media outlets like CNN and Vice, Zhang is the author of The Physics of Gamma-Ray Bursts, a textbook that is taught today in graduate classes for students studying gamma-ray bursts and is frequently referenced by fellow researchers.

Prior to joining UNLV in 2004, Zhang did postdoctoral fellowships at NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and Pennsylvania State University.  

Distinguished professor Kwang J. Kim in 2012 joined UNLV’s department of mechanical engineering, where he oversees the Active Materials and Smart Living (AMSL) Laboratory. His research primarily focuses on active materials and related technologies with emphasis on soft-robotics.

Kim has authored or co-authored more than 420 technical publications, including over 200 referred journal papers and three monographs, and has been awarded five U.S. patents.

His research programs have been funded by private sectors and federal agencies including NASA, the National Science Foundation, and the U.S. Departments of Energy and Defense. He sits on the editorial boards of several prominent academic journals. Kim is also the recipient of numerous accolades and research awards, including the the 2021 SSH lifetime achievement award from SPIE, an international professional society for optics and photonics technology; the 2016 Harry Reid Silver State Researcher Award; the 2016 Barrick Distinguished Scholar Award; and the Nevada System of Higher Education 2015 Regents’ Researcher Award.

Erin Hannon is the director of the UNLV Music Lab — more formally known as the UNLV Auditory Cognition and Development Lab — a research laboratory dedicated to finding the connection between music and psychological perception. She is also a professor in UNLV’s department of psychology.

Hannon’s research focuses on the links between music, language, and cultural perceptions — particularly in developing children. She probes how people come to understand sound, such as music and language, and the ways our cultural environment impacts that. Her research contributes to a growing body of scientific knowledge related to developmental disorders in language and reading; movement and coordination therapies; and rehabilitation after stroke, traumatic brain injury, or other neural disorders. 

Hannon approaches her research by examining how culture-specific listening experiences influence music perception, similarities between musical and linguistic skills during childhood, and how developmental milestones in music perception relate to other social, cognitive, and linguistic abilities and behaviors. Hannon's research has been published in notable psychology journals including Cognitive Psychology and the Journal of Experimental Psychology.

Kate Zhong — an adjunct professor in UNLV’s Department of Brain Health — is a geriatric psychiatrist, pharmacologist, and brain health advocate. Zhong is the founder of Brainnovation Initiative and chief executive officer of CNS Innovations LLC, a company that provides consultation services to advance prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease.

Before joining UNLV’s faculty, Zhong served as the chief strategy officer for Global Alzheimer’s Platform, a foundation devoted to improving and accelerating clinical trials for Alzheimer’s disease. From 2010-2016, she was the senior director of clinical research for the Cleveland Clinic Lou Ruvo Center for Brain Health, where she led the development of programs treating patients with neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson’s disease. She is a founding member of AARP Global Council on Brain Health and serves on multiple boards in Nevada and beyond.

Zhong is a worldwide respected expert on brain health, having served as a scientific consultant for multiple pharmaceutical and biotech companies in the United States, Canada, and Asia. She was named a “Woman to Watch” and ”Alzheimer’s Ambassador” by Vegas Inc. Magazine, as well as honored with the “Healthcare Headliner Research Award” for her creation of Cleveland Clinic's healthybrains.org and the Health Brain Index. Zhong was featured in the PBS documentary “MAKERS: Women Who Make America,” profiling her as one of Nevada’s most influential women.

Zaijing Sun is an associate professor in UNLV's Department of Health Physics and Diagnostic Sciences. Sun’s work ranges from the study of radioactive waste management to applications of radiology and nuclear physics for medical uses.

His research interests include health physics, radiochemistry, nuclear activation analysis, computer simulations of nuclear processes, gamma-ray spectroscopy and 3D isotopic imaging, medical application of particle accelerators, archaeometry, temporal data mining, and medical isotope production.

A distinguished expert in his field, Sun's research has been published in a number of prestigious journals and educational booklets in his field, including: Elsevier, Nuclear Science and Engineering Education Sourcebook 2020, AIP Conference Proceedings, International Nuclear Information System, and on the U.S. Department of Energy Office of Scientific and Technical Information’s website. He currently serves on the executive committee of the Education, Training, and Workforce Development Division at the American Nuclear Society; works as part of UNLV’s Health, Environment, and Radiation Detection (HERD) research team; and acts as the faculty advisor of UNLV's student chapter of the American Nuclear Society.

Rajiv Kishore is chair of UNLV's department of management, entrepreneurship, and technology. Kishore is also a professor of business analytics and management information systems (MIS) in the Lee Business School.

Raised in a remote village in India, Kishore earned his Ph.D. in the U.S. and spent 20 years working in academia before joining UNLV in August 2018. He also has experience in private industry, working in the systems engineering and aeronautics fields.

Kishore's research, which focuses on information technology and systems and outsourcing, has been published in prominent journals such as MIS Quarterly and European Journal of Information Systems. Research topics include the intersection of social media and online/virtual social support communities with healthcare, corruption and HR training, e-business, and knowledge sharing among older adults.