PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Kang Hao Cheong

Kang Hao Cheong is a theoretical and computational scientist who studies complex systems and Parrondo's paradox and is increasingly interested in applying AI to medicine, healthcare and education. After earning degrees in applied mathematics and in electrical and computer engineering at the National University of Singapore, he managed a research fund at Singapore's Ministry of Education and taught at the Singapore Institute of Technology from 2016 to 2018. As an assistant professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design from 2019 to 2023, he led work on Parrondo's paradox in biology and in the COVID-19 epidemic, and the Stanford University–Elsevier database placed him in the top 0.8% in Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing in 2022. In April 2025, he published a Physical Review Research paper showing that adaptive strategies formulated by large language models can surpass predefined sequences in paradoxical games. He is an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University, with a joint appointment in mathematical sciences and computing, and Assistant Dean (Continuing Education and Training) at its College of Science.

Timeline

  1. By 2016

    Degrees from NUS and NIE

    He earns a BSc (Hons) in Applied Mathematics and a PhD in Electrical and Computer Engineering at the National University of Singapore, where he is designated a University Scholar, plus a postgraduate diploma in education at the National Institute of Education. Before entering academia, he manages a US$250M-per-year Academic Research Fund at Singapore's Ministry of Education.

  2. 2016–2018

    Assistant professor at SIT

    From 2016 to 2018, he is an assistant professor in the Engineering Cluster at the Singapore Institute of Technology (SIT). He receives its Annual Teaching Excellence Award in 2018.

  3. 2019–2023

    Assistant professor at SUTD

    He is an assistant professor at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) from 2019 until October 2023. He receives the SUTD Annual Excellence in Teaching Award in 2022.

  4. 2019–2022

    Parrondo's paradox in biology

    A 2019 BioEssays review with him as senior author traces Parrondo's paradox, in which two losing games combine into a win, across ecology, genetics, cellular processes and disease. In 2020, a team he leads at SUTD uses the paradox to model switching strategies that relieve the cost of the COVID-19 epidemic, published in Advanced Science. His 2022 PNAS paper with Eugene Koonin and others shows that a disadvantaged bacteriophage can win by alternating between lysis and lysogeny.

  5. 2022

    Stanford–Elsevier top scientists list

    In the Stanford University–Elsevier database of top 2% scientists published in September 2022, he places in the top 0.8% (rank 4,547) in Artificial Intelligence & Image Processing, against 3.9% in 2020. His listed research areas are complex systems, evolutionary game theory, and AI/ML in medical and healthcare.

  6. April 2025

    Language models in paradoxical games

    In April 2025, he publishes "Adaptive strategy automation with large language models in paradoxical games" in Physical Review Research with Jie Zhao and Tao Wen. Coin-tossing simulations show that adaptive switching strategies formulated by large language models surpass predefined sequences in profitability in certain paradoxical games.

  7. As of October 2026

    Associate professor at NTU

    He is an associate professor at Nanyang Technological University, with a joint appointment in the Division of Mathematical Sciences and the College of Computing and Data Science, and Assistant Dean (Continuing Education and Training) at the College of Science. Trained as a theoretical and computational scientist, he studies the dynamics of complex systems and is increasingly interested in applying AI to medicine, healthcare and education.

Career

  1. NowNanyang Technological UniversityAssociate Professor
  2. 2019–2023Singapore University of Technology and DesignAssistant Professor
  3. 2016–2018Singapore Institute of TechnologyAssistant Professor
  4. Ministry of Education (Singapore)Manager, Academic Research Fund

Education

  1. 2016National University of SingaporeBSc (Hons) in Applied Mathematics
  2. 2016National Institute of EducationPostgraduate diploma in education

From the biography.

  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 Kang Hao Cheong yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Assoc Prof Kang Hao Cheong | Academic Profile | DR-NTU | Research | NTU Singapore dr.ntu.edu.sg. Checked 21 October 2026.
  2. Paradoxical Survival: Examining the Parrondo effect across biology | EurekAlert! eurekalert.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  3. Using Parrondo’s Paradox to Reduce the Cost of COVID-19 scitechdaily.com. Checked 21 October 2026.
  4. Alternating lysis and lysogeny is a winning strategy in bacteriophages due to Parrondo's paradox | CaltechAUTHORS resolver.caltech.edu. Checked 21 October 2026.
  5. 29% of SUTD Faculty Within Top 2% Scientists Globally - Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD) sutd.edu.sg. Checked 21 October 2026.
  6. Adaptive strategy automation with large language models in paradoxical games | Phys. Rev. Research journals.aps.org. Checked 21 October 2026.
  7. Kang Hao Cheong - HUN-REN AI Symposium 2026 hun-ren.hu. Checked 21 October 2026.
  8. College Management | College of Science | NTU Singapore ntu.edu.sg. Checked 21 October 2026.
  9. AI Faculty | NTU College of Computing and Data Science | NTU Singapore ntu.edu.sg. Checked 21 October 2026.