Zhao Yanli

Biography

Dr. Zhao received his B.Sc. degree in Chemistry from Nankai University in 2000 and his Ph.D. degree in Physical Chemistry there in 2005 under the supervision of Professor Yu Liu. He was a postdoctoral scholar with Professor Sir Fraser Stoddart at University of California, Los Angeles (October 2005 to November 2008) and subsequently at Northwestern University (January 2010 to August 2010). In between times (December 2008 to December 2009), he was a postdoctoral scholar performing research work in the group of Professor Jeffrey Zink at University of California, Los Angeles. He received a National Research Foundation Fellowship in 2010. He is currently an Associate Professor in both the School of Physical and Mathematical Sciences and the School of Materials Science and Engineering at Nanyang Technological University.

Research Interest

The research programs in the Zhao group focus on organic and materials chemistry and branch out into the related fields of biological, physical, and medicinal chemistry. We utilize interdisciplinary approaches to investigate the emerging problems at the forefront of chemistry and materials, aiming to address some of the technological needs in today’s society, such as responsive nanomaterials, general approach for controlled drug delivery, and sensing devices for medical diagnostics and gene-chip technologies. The applications in cancer therapy, energy, and sensor technology are keenly investigated at the more advanced stages.