PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Cuntai Guan

Also known as Guan Cuntai

Cuntai Guan is an AI researcher whose work includes a 2018 convolutional-network paper on brain-computer interfaces and research on stroke rehabilitation. After his PhD, he worked on speech recognition and led a group at Kent Ridge Digital Lab before moving into brain-computer interface research at A*STAR. His motor-imagery BCI project for stroke rehabilitation won the 2010 Annual BCI Research Award, and a 2013 study linked resting brain connectivity to recovery. At NTU, he coauthored Tensor-CSPNet, a geometric deep-learning framework for motor-imagery classification, and received the 2022 King Salman Award for Disability Research and the 2023 Nanyang Research Award. As of October 2026, he is a President’s Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Deputy Dean of NTU’s College of Computing and Data Science.

Works
520
Citations
30,673
h-index
84

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 22 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1997–1999

    Speech recognition at Kent Ridge

    After his PhD, he works on speech recognition and leads a group at Kent Ridge Digital Lab from 1997 to 1999.

  2. 2010–2013

    Stroke rehabilitation with BCI

    At A*STAR, he leads a motor-imagery brain-computer interface project for robotic stroke rehabilitation; his team wins the 2010 Annual BCI Research Award. A 2013 study led by Guan finds that resting brain-connectivity patterns predict how much stroke patients recover following rehabilitation.

  3. 2018

    Convolutional networks for BCI

    He coauthors “Learning Temporal Information for Brain-Computer Interface using Convolutional Neural Networks,” published in IEEE Transactions on Neural Networks and Learning Systems in 2018.

  4. 2021

    An NTU President’s Chair

    NTU names him to the President’s Chair in Computer Science and Engineering in 2021.

  5. 2022

    King Salman Award

    He receives the King Salman Award for Disability Research, Technical Branch, in 2022.

  6. 2022

    Tensor-CSPNet on arXiv

    In 2022, he coauthors the arXiv paper that introduces Tensor-CSPNet, a geometric deep-learning framework for motor-imagery classification.

  7. 2023

    A Nanyang Research Award

    NTU confers the Nanyang Research Award (University) on him in 2023.

  8. As of October 2026

    Deputy Dean at NTU

    In 2025, he is CCDS Deputy Dean and President’s Chair Professor in computer science and engineering. As of October 2026, he is a President’s Chair in Artificial Intelligence and Deputy Dean of the College of Computing and Data Science at NTU.

Career

  1. Since 2021Nanyang Technological UniversityPresident's Chair in Computer Science and Engineering, Deputy Dean of the College of Computing and Data Science
  2. 2010–2013Agency for Science, Technology and Research
  3. 2004–2017Science and Engineering Research Council
  4. 1997–1999Kent Ridge Digital LabGroup leader

From the biography and OpenAlex affiliations (the years of papers that list the organization), so some years are approximate.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Nanyang Technological University. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  2. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Nanyang Technological University. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.
  3. Google has the highest combined h-index among AI organizationsIncludes Nanyang Technological University. We estimate that Google holds the highest combined h-index at 8,016, while universities account for 73% of the deduplicated total across AI organizations.
  4. 5 of the 25 people with the most-cited recent papers also lead on career citationsIncludes Nanyang Technological University. We compare citations to 2023–2025 papers with career citations and h-index, after correcting reviewed publication-date errors: who leads, when they started and where they work.

Colleagues

People with dated positions at the same organization in the same years.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Cuntai Guan yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Teaching Machines to Read the Brain: Guan Cuntai on the Future of Brain-Computer Interfaces | HUN-REN hun-ren.hu. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. Prof Cuntai Guan | Centre for Brain-Computing Research ntu-cbcr.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. Predicting stroke recovery - A*STAR Research research.a-star.edu.sg. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. 2010 - BCI Award bci-award.com. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. Publications | ntu-cbcr ntu-cbcr.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  6. Chair Professorships | College of Computing and Data Science | NTU Singapore ntu.edu.sg. Checked 21 October 2026.
  7. Prof Guan Cuntai received the prestigious King Salman Award for Disability Research | College of Computing and Data Science | NTU Singapore ntu.edu.sg. Checked 21 October 2026.
  8. Tensor-CSPNet: A Novel Geometric Deep Learning Framework for Motor Imagery Classification | arXiv arxiv.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  9. Nanyang Awards 2023 | College of Computing and Data Science | NTU Singapore ntu.edu.sg. Checked 21 October 2026.
  10. NTU CCDS at HUN-REN AI Symposium: Driving Responsible AI Through Safety, Sustainability & Global Collaboration | College of Computing and Data Science | NTU Singapore ntu.edu.sg. Checked 21 October 2026.
  11. AI Faculty | NTU College of Computing and Data Science | College of Computing and Data Science | NTU Singapore ntu.edu.sg. Checked 21 October 2026.