The main research interests in my group comprise two areas: In Atomic, Molecular and Nonlinear Optics, we currently study the nonlinear phenomena of cold atoms and molecules in novel optical fields. Our aim is to understand and exploit their collective dynamics arising from the nonlinear interactions for applications, such as deceleration of cold molecular beams. In the area of Physics with Life Sciences Interface, we work with biologists to develop advanced computational techniques for analysing fluorescence microscopy images. Currently we are developing new image processing algorithms capable of detection and tracking of transport particles within biological live cells under low SNR environments.

Weiping joined Heriot-Watt in 1988 as a China Research Fellow under the Royal Society and Chinese Academy Exchange Programme. He obtained his PhD from Heriot-Watt in 1991 on nonlinear dynamics and chaos in optical systems and then worked as a postdoc in the same subject area. He was received the 67th Award of the Makdougall-Brisbane Prize in1998 by the Royal Society of Edinburgh for his contributions to this subject. He was appointed a Lecturer in 1997 and is now a Reader in the Department of Physics.