Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Pennsylvania
UW Major: Biological Systems Engineering
Ho arrived at UW–Madison intending to study chemical engineering but was drawn instead to biological systems engineering, a field that emphasizes systems thinking over specialization. Ho describes himself as an expert generalist: “I’m more interested in understanding how things connect with one another and the new perspective you get when you see the big picture.”
At UW–Madison, he found the intellectual framework and the freedom to explore connections across disciplines. Ho began exploring sustainable ways to generate biofuels from dairy waste products. He later shifted his focus toward microplastics, particularly how they move through, and affect, water and soil. (Microplastics are tiny particles — less than five millimeters — that are shed from plastics as they degrade.)
Around that time, Ho was invited to participate in the Wisconsin Energy Institute’s public engagement program Science Expeditions. He developed “Plastic Panic,” a tabletop activity to simulate for young students how microplastics move through wastewater treatment systems — an experience that shaped how he approaches science outreach today.
Ho acknowledges the world has a complicated relationship with plastic. For example, in his free time he enjoys building plastic model kits, even as he’s studying the environmental impact of plastic waste. Instead of trying to eliminate plastic altogether, he focused his doctoral research on developing better, more efficient, and more affordable ways to detect microplastics.
Drawing on his background in technical photography, he combined fluorescence imaging with computational analysis to identify and classify particles, noting that “detecting a particle on a petri dish is like taking a photo of the night sky and detecting a star.” His work has advanced how researchers monitor microplastic pollution, enabling more scalable and accessible environmental tracking.
Now a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Pennsylvania, Ho continues to expand both the reach and impact of his work. His research has earned institutional recognition, including selection as Penn’s nominee for the Frontiers Planet Prize, honoring research that addresses global environmental challenges. He contributes to the Philly Emerging Contaminants Initiative and serves as the young professional chair of the emerging contaminants community within the Water Environment Federation.
Ho’s commitment to accessibility extends beyond the lab. He founded Plastic-Free Pals, a platform bringing together citizen science, education, and community action. And he’s known on social media platforms as “Dr. Microplastics” — his way of translating complex science into knowledge people can use to better understand and respond to environmental challenges.
Despite moving away from Madison, Ho’s ties to the UW remain strong, especially through lifelong friendships and Badgers in his family, including his wife, Effy (Zhiyuan) Yu ’15, PhD’19. He’s grateful to the university for giving him the freedom to explore and a foundation for translating research into real-world impact.