Singapore

Related Research:

Hui Ying Yang is a professor from the pillar of Engineering Product Development (EPD) at the Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD). She received her B.S. degree (Honours) from Nankai University, China, in 2002, and was awarded her PhD degree from Nanyang Technological University in 2007. Following her graduation, she continued as a postdoctoral fellow with support from the Singapore Millennium Foundation and Lee Kuan Yew Fellowship. After her stint as a postdoctoral fellow, she joined SUTD as Assistant Professor under the EPD pillar. She was promoted to Associate Professor with tenure in 2016 and Full Professor in 2022. She leads SUTD’s Energy and Environmental Sustainability Laboratory and works in the field of advanced material science and engineering. Her specialties include the fabrication of nanomaterials for functional engineering and chemical doping of low dimensional materials. Her research has found many applications ranging from energy storage to water treatment with a thematic focus on environmental sustainability. Her work has had great impact in our fundamental understanding of material science, chemistry, electrochemistry and desalination. She is an elected Fellow of the ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET) and Fellow of the Royal Chemistry Society (RCS). She was ranked in the Top 2% Scientists list established by Ioannidis/ Stanford University in all updates published since 2019. She is also ranked as a top 0.3% researcher in h-index and a top 0.5% researcher in citation by Exaly.com.

Relation to Climate Resilience and Adaptation Theme:

Hui Ying Yang is a world leader in advanced material research for energy storage and has made significant and sustained scientific and professional contributions to the development of novel, electrochemical energy storage devices. Her research projects include designing and synthesizing nanostructures with well-defined functionalities and properties; rapid prototyping of energy storage devices; characterization of the functional materials using high-performance analytical methods; investigation of electrochemical performance using operando techniques; and development of carbon-based materials for ion-sieving and ion removal in aqueous solutions. She has performed pioneering research in sodium-ion batteries and elucidated stepwise electrochemical reaction mechanisms via in-situ XRD characterization techniques. She has developed high performing anode and cathode materials via low-dimensional nanostructure design and elemental doping. She has pioneered in oxide electronic structure tuning to develop active catalysts to promote oxygen reduction and evolution kinetics. She has demonstrated the concept of ocean-mining through fluidic electrochemical extraction (FEE) to harvest lithium directly from seawater. By leveraging on advanced redox nanomaterial electrodes, she has pioneered in the cross-disciplinary development of converting battery materials for use in water treatment, achieving a revolutionary desalination battery system which can perform both functions simultaneously. These achievements have clearly contributed valuable knowledge for the improved design of rechargeable batteries and beyond. Presently, she has published over 400 high-profile articles in Nature Communications, Angewandte Chemie, Advanced Materials, ACS Nano and so on. Her publications have been cited more than 24,000 times with a H-index of 91. Hui Ying has given a number of lectures in academia, industrial events and at high-level strategic meetings. She is a strategic review panel member for Singapore Astar Programmatic Program and NRF Coastal Protection and Flood Management Research Programmes. She also serves as an Expert Group member for National NAEK (National Academy of Engineering Korea) and Standing Executive Committee member for World Young Scientist Summit (WYSS). Her research work has been highlighted by many local and overseas’ media outlets. Hui Ying also holds more than 10 filed/ grant patents and built large scale industrial collaborations with 6 local and international companies with the mission on sustainability.

Hui Ying’s achievements in research have garnered multiple accolades both nationally and internationally. She has been elected as Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry, Fellow of the ASEAN Academy of Engineering and Technology (AAET) for her research impacts. She has received ACS Nano Impact Award (2024), SNIC-AsCA2019 Distinguished Women Chemist Award (2023), IPS Nanotechnology Medal (Outstanding Nanotechnology Physics Research, 2018), Nanonica Prize (2014), Outstanding Young Manufacturing Engineer Award (2014), MCCC-AAET Green Award (2013), Tan Kah Kee Young Inventors Award (2013), Lee Kuan Yew Fellowship (2008) and L’Oreal Singapore for Women in Science National Fellowship (2010) among many others.

Hui Ying has inspired more than 100 students and postdoctoral fellows at SUTD, who are now pursuing successful careers in academia, industry and national research institutions on the topic of sustainability, energy and water. Among the PhD students and researchers, she has supervised, more than 30 of them have secured faculty positions in different universities. With her mentorship, more than 10 Master and PhD students have won different awards. She has also been a mentor to more than 30 secondary school/ junior college and polytechnic students through MOE science mentoring program. She served as chair of Graduate Studies at EPD pillar since 2013 and as Director of SUTD cleanroom since 2017. She has served as a member to various committees at the pillar and university level. She is also actively involved in academic services to the global scientific community. Therefore, her research achievements and education contribution have made her adaptation to the theme and fully deserved for the award.

Affiliated Organisation:

Singapore University of Technology and Design