Ning is a Computer Science academic at the University of Sheffield with a passion for combining technology and creativity. His research dives into the fascinating worlds of speech and hearing technologies, machine learning, and healthcare. His work primarily focuses on the development of intelligent machine listening systems capable of interpreting and generating sounds, including speech and music. Notably, he has contributed to the use of acoustics for monitoring sleep-disordered breathing at home and created the Artificial Musical Intelligence tool - a generative AI system designed to personalise music generation for individual musicians and various use cases. His research also explores the intersection of music AI technology and mental health, reflecting his deep interest in the broader impacts of his work.

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Ning also works closely with the Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as an honorary lecturer, where he helps bridge the gap between artificial intelligence and healthcare. He is the Co-Director of the Healthcare Data/AI theme at the INSIGNEO Institute, where he is helping shape the future of healthcare tech by bringing together science, engineering, and medicine.

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Originally from Qingdao, China, Ning studied Computer Science at the South China University of Technology before coming to Sheffield in 2002 to earn his PhD in hearing-inspired automatic speech recognition. Music has always been a big part of his life - he learned to play the alto saxophone as a kid and now enjoys sharing his love for music with his family. Ning lives in Endcliffe with his wife and son, who has been learning violin and piano at the Sheffield Music Academy since 2020. When he is not busy with work or family, you might find him out running or swimming - two of his favourite ways to stay active.