DR. MING-YANG CHENG · 鄭名揚

A research practice built between signals and sport.

Ming-Yang Cheng is an Associate Research Fellow at the Taiwan Institute of Sports Science and founder of SPIN Lab. His work connects sport cognitive neuroscience, neurofeedback, and field application.

Questions first. Signals second. Performance always in context.

Dr. Ming-Yang Cheng · Kaohsiung, Taiwan

GERMAN FORMATION · INTERNATIONAL PRACTICE · TAIWAN MISSION

Formed in Germany. Developed across borders. Applied from Taiwan.

2014—2019 · GERMAN FORMATION · SEVILLE, SPAINDOCTORAL FORMATION · INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY14th ISSP World Congress · 10–14 July 2017.

2019—2024 · GERMAN ACADEMIA · INTERNATIONAL COLLABORATIONRESEARCH · METHOD DEVELOPMENTSport psychology and cognitive neuroscience connected with evidence and performance application.

2024—PRESENT · KAOHSIUNG · TAIWANNATIONAL PLATFORM · SCIENTIFIC CONVENINGConvening NIMBUS 2026 across neurofeedback, mind–body integration, and sport performance.

2018 · ACKYoung Investigator Award

02RESEARCH FOCUS

Find the state before action. Train it. Test it in sport.

One programme connects the question, the signal, and the athlete's own task.

01 · QUESTION

The psychological state before skilled action

Identify how attention, neural readiness, and autonomic regulation organise before movement and change under pressure.

Research questions

02 · METHOD

Individualised EEG and HRV neurofeedback

Turn research-supported signals into a closed-loop practice, then remove the display and test whether regulation remains available.

SPIN Lab method

03 · APPLICATION

Transfer into the athlete's own performance setting

Return evidence to the sport task, the coach's question, and the athlete's felt experience without overstating what the signal can prove.

Field application

EDUCATION & APPOINTMENTS

From physical education and sport psychology to sport cognitive neuroscience and applied performance.

3 RECORDSEducation

2014—2019
Ph.D. · Psychology & Sports Science
Department of Psychology and Sports Science
Bielefeld University · GermanyNeurocognition and Action – Biomechanics · Chair: Prof. Dr. Thomas Schack · CITEC (EXC 277)
2009—2012
M.Ed. · Sport Psychology
Department of Physical Education and Sports Science
National Taiwan Normal University · TaiwanSport & Exercise Psychophysiology Laboratory · Tsung-Min Hung Lab
2005—2009
B.Ed. · Physical Education
Department of Physical Education
National Kaohsiung Normal University · Taiwan

7 RECORDSAppointments

2024—NOW
Associate Research Fellow
Taiwan Institute of Sports Science · Kaohsiung, Taiwan
2023—2024
Associate Research Fellow
Beijing Sport University · School of Psychology · Beijing, China
2020—2023
Associate Professor
Shanghai University of Sport · School of Psychology · Shanghai, China
2019—2021
Co-founder & Director of Science
neuro11 GmbH · Essen, Germany
2019—2020
Visiting Scholar
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz · Mainz, Germany
2019—2020
Visiting Scholar
Center for Economics and Neuroscience · University of Bonn · Bonn, Germany
2014—2019
Doctoral Researcher
Neurocognition and Action – Biomechanics · Chair: Prof. Dr. Thomas Schack · CITEC · Bielefeld University

DOCTORAL FORMATION

An interdisciplinary research formation in Germany.

Doctoral work at Bielefeld University connected EEG, movement representation, neurofeedback, and precision performance within the Neurocognition and Action – Biomechanics group and CITEC.

BIELEFELD UNIVERSITY · DOCTORAL RESEARCHEEG · movement representation · precision performance

Doctoral defence

Ehrenrunde im DoktorwagenAfter a successful defence, colleagues lead the new doctorate around campus in a decorated cart—a playful public rite marking the completion of a long research formation.

SELECTED DISTINCTIONS

Recognition attached to the work.

2021 · Sports Administration, Ministry of Education · TaiwanSports Science Research and Development Excellence Award

Recognised work · Elite golfers are characterized by psychomotor refinement in cognitive-motor processes ↗

2020 · Sports Administration, Ministry of Education · TaiwanSports Science Research and Development Excellence Award

Recognised work · Experts’ successful psychomotor performance was characterized by effective switch of motor and attentional control ↗

2019 · Sports Administration, Ministry of Education · TaiwanSports Science Research and Development Distinguished Award

Recognised work · Higher power of sensorimotor rhythm is associated with better performance in skilled air-pistol shooters ↗

2019 · Sports Administration, Ministry of Education · TaiwanSports Science Research and Development Grade A Award

Recognised work · Impact of emotional and motivational regulation on putting performance ↗

2018 · Asia Conference of KinesiologyYoung Investigator Award

Asia Conference of Kinesiology 2018 · National Taiwan University of Sport

Recognised work · Miss your putts? The key EEG index to achieve superior golf-putting performance ↗

2017 · Sports Administration, Ministry of Education · TaiwanSports Science Research and Development Excellence Award

Recognised work · Sensorimotor rhythm neurofeedback enhances golf putting performance ↗

2017 · Sports Administration, Ministry of Education · TaiwanSports Science Research and Development Excellence Award

Recognised work · Expert-novice differences in SMR activity during dart throwing ↗

2017 · Asia Conference of KinesiologyYoung Investigator Award

Recognised work · Recognition for an emerging research programme in sport cognitive neuroscience ↗

2017 · Bielefeld University · GermanyOutstanding Young Researcher Award

Recognised work · Doctoral research in EEG neurofeedback, movement representation, and precision performance ↗

2017 · European Seminar of Sport & Exercise Psychology · Pisa, ItalyBest Poster Award

Recognised work · Improving shooting performance with neurofeedback: EEG and psychomotor efficiency ↗

06ACADEMIC SERVICE

ACADEMIC SERVICE

Research also advances through review, teaching, mentoring, and shared standards.

Frontiers in Psychology · PeerJ · BMC Psychology · Journal of Science in Sport and ExerciseEditorial board service

Editorial service across multidisciplinary psychology, behavioural science, and sport and exercise research.

Psychophysiology · Psychology of Sport and Exercise · Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in SportsInternational journal peer review

Review service also includes Biological Psychology, Behavioural Brain Research, Cognitive Neurodynamics, Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience, and the International Journal of Sport and Exercise Psychology.

Beijing Sport University · Shanghai University of Sport · Bielefeld UniversityUniversity teaching

Graduate and undergraduate teaching has covered sport and exercise psychology, sport psychophysiology, experimental methods, motor learning and control, and applied sport cognitive neuroscience.

Master’s research · doctoral mentoring · mobile EEG · scientific writingResearch supervision & mentoring

Supervision has supported master’s and doctoral researchers across the full research cycle: question formulation, experimental design, mobile-EEG acquisition, neurofeedback development, data analysis, thesis preparation, and scientific publication across institutions in China, Germany, and the Netherlands.

NIMBUS 2026 · NeuroDoWo 2016 · Cognitive Neuroscience in Sports 2015Scientific coordination

Scientific coordination has connected doctoral training, international cognitive-neuroscience dialogue, and current interdisciplinary translation at the Taiwan Institute of Sports Science. In 2026, Cheng convened the Neurofeedback and Integration for Mind–Body Unity in Sport (NIMBUS) symposium, bringing neurofeedback, mind–body integration, and sport performance into one shared programme.

07PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS

PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIPS