Yingwei Fei examines materials at high pressure and temperature. He is interested in phase transitions, element partitioning, melting relations, chemical reactions and physical properties with applications to geophysics, petrology, mineral physics, geochemistry and planetary sciences. His main research goal is to understand the evolution and composition of planetary interiors through high-pressure simulation experiments using piston-cylinder apparatus, multi-anvil devices, diamond-anvil cell, and dynamic compression methods. He also pursues new materials synthesis at high pressure and temperature. In 2018 a mineral was named after him:  Feiite, Fe²⁺₂(Fe²⁺Ti⁴⁺)O_5.