PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Michael Hegg

Michael Hegg is a sensor researcher and Meta's Director of Sensors whose work includes smart sensors for contextual AI. He completed an electrical engineering PhD at the University of Washington in 2008, studying near-field light detection with quantum dots. At Intellectual Ventures Lab, he coauthored a 2014 study that used automated image classification to examine malaria detection in blood samples. His career also includes teaching physics at Harvard and a postdoctoral fellowship with George Whitesides; he is an affiliate associate professor in the University of Washington's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering.

Works
23
Citations
305
h-index
9

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 27 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 2005

    A nanotechnology fellowship

    In 2005, he receives a one-year UIF Nanotechnology Fellowship while pursuing his PhD with Lih Lin in the University of Washington’s Department of Electrical Engineering.

  2. 2008

    Doctorate in electrical engineering

    He completes a PhD in electrical engineering at the University of Washington in 2008, with a dissertation on near-field photodetection using nanocrystal quantum dots. His education includes a BS in physics from Washington and Lee University and an MS in electrical engineering from Washington.

  3. 2014

    Malaria imaging at Intellectual Ventures

    At Intellectual Ventures Lab in Bellevue, he coauthors a 2014 study of malaria diagnosis with dark-field microscopy and automated image classification. The study identifies a detection limit: parasites less than six hours old have no detectable haemozoin, a malaria pigment, in this system.

  4. 2016

    Malaria diagnostic test design

    In 2016, he works at iSense, LLC in Cambridge, Massachusetts, and coauthors “Development of new malaria diagnostics: matching performance and need.” The article calls for test development to address gaps in malaria programmes and the markets that can sustain new diagnostic tools.

  5. February 2023

    Sensors in the Metaverse

    In February 2023, he gives the keynote “Sensors in the Metaverse” at IEEE Sensors in Spotlight in Irvine, California. He is Director of Sensors at Meta Reality Labs.

  6. As of October 2026

    Sensors for contextual AI

    As of October 2026, he is Director of Sensors at Meta and an affiliate associate professor in the University of Washington’s Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering. His team supplies sensors for Quest headsets and Ray-Ban smart glasses, develops face, head, eye and hand tracking, and works on smart sensors for contextual AI. His earlier work includes sensor startups in Seattle and Boston, teaching in Harvard’s Department of Physics, and a postdoctoral fellowship with George Whitesides at Harvard.

Career

  1. NowMetaDirector of Sensors
  2. NowUniversity of WashingtonAffiliate Associate Professor, Electrical and Computer Engineering
  3. Harvard UniversityTeaching, Department of Physics
  4. Harvard UniversityPostdoctoral Fellow

Education

  1. 2008University of WashingtonPhD in electrical engineering
  2. Washington and Lee UniversityBS in physics
  3. University of WashingtonMS in electrical engineering

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

Colleagues

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

Sources and credits

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

  1. New Fellowship winners! | UW Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering ece.uw.edu. Checked 27 October 2026.
  2. UW Photonics Lab - People sites.google.com. Checked 27 October 2026.
  3. Michael Hegg | UW Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering ee.washington.edu. Checked 27 October 2026.
  4. Limitations of haemozoin-based diagnosis of Plasmodium falciparum using dark-field microscopy - PMC pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Checked 27 October 2026.
  5. Development of new malaria diagnostics: matching performance and need - PMC pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Checked 27 October 2026.
  6. IEEE Sensors In Spotlight 2023 2023.ieee-sensorsinspotlight.org. Checked 27 October 2026.