Dr Yanwei Lum obtained his BEng degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Imperial College London in 2012. He then received his PhD degree in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley in 2018 under Prof. Joel W. Ager III. This was followed by a PostDoctoral stint at the University of Toronto with Prof. Edward H. Sargent. He joined the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) as a Presidential Young Assistant Professor in 2021. His research interests include electrocatalysis for CO2/NO3- reduction, electroorganic reactions and hydrogen storage. His research has been recognized by awards such as Waterloo Institute of Nanotechnology (WIN) 2025 Rising Star Award, MIT TR35 Innovators Under 35 (Asia Pacific) and ASEAN-ROK Next Innovator Award.
Read Yanwei’s Emerging Investigators article titled “A reversed gas diffusion electrode enables collection of high purity gas products from CO2 electroreduction” and find out more about him in the interview below:
How has your research evolved from your first article to this most recent one?
My research has evolved from understanding fundamental electrochemical reaction mechanisms to using those insights to designing more effective reactor systems. In my early work, I focused on uncovering how catalyst surfaces influence reaction pathways and selectivity in electrochemical CO₂ reduction. Over time, I became increasingly interested in the broader challenge of reactor system engineering. Our recent work in EES Catalysis tackles an important challenge in CO2 reduction, which is how to collect gas products at high purity without mixing with the reactant. That being said, the overarching goal has remained the same: developing efficient and cost-effective systems for sustainable chemical manufacturing.
What aspect of your work excites you most right now?
What excites me most is the growing ability to directly observe and control reaction pathways at electrified interfaces. For many years, electrocatalytic reactions were often treated as “black boxes,” where we could measure products but had limited insight into how individual reaction steps occurred. Today, advances in operando characterization, isotopic labeling, and computational methods allow us to probe these mechanisms with unprecedented detail. I am particularly excited by the opportunity to explore the development of toolkits and methodologies to uncover new insights into catalytic mechanisms at play.
Which profession would you choose if you weren’t a scientist?
If I were not a scientist, I would probably be a science journalist. There is a need to translate complex scientific ideas into stories that are accessible and engaging to broader audiences. Science journalism plays a crucial role in bridging the gap between researchers and society, helping people understand not only what discoveries are made, but also why they matter. In this way, we can inspire curiosity, inform decision-making and highlight the human side of research.
What one piece of career advice would you share with other early career scientists?
Focus on developing strong expertise and technical capabilities rather than chasing trends. Scientific fields evolve rapidly, and research directions that seem fashionable today may look very different in a few years. In my opinion, a strong foundation in fundamentals, combined with the ability to ask important questions and think independently, is the most important.