PROF. Weilai Yu

Academic Appointments

• 2025-  University of Toronto, Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry; LOGICS Lab, Principal Investigator; Acceleration Consortium, Member

Bio: Dr. Weilai Yu obtained his Ph.D degree in Chemistry at Caltech (2021) working with Prof. Nathan S. Lewis and Prof. Harry B. Gray, studying the stability of semiconductor photoelectrodes for solar fuels. From 2021 to 2024, he is a postdoctoral scholar of Chemical Engineering at Stanford University working with Prof. Zhenan Bao and Prof. Yi Cui, investigating the reactivity of liquid electrolytes in Li-metal batteries. Dr. Yu obtained his B.Sc. in Chemistry at Wuhan University. His current research focuses on systematically unveiling how the molecular interactions within nanoscale material interfaces dictate the macroscale performance of chemical and energy conversion. 

EDUCATION & TRAINING

• 2021-2024   Stanford University, Postdoc scholar of Chemical Engineering, with Prof. Zhenan Bao & Prof. Yi Cui

• 2016-2021   California Institute of Technology, Ph.D in Chemistry, with Prof. Nathan S. Lewis & Prof. Harry B. Gray

• 2015 Spring   Harvard University, Visiting Undergraduate Student

• 2012-2016   Wuhan University, B.S in Chemistry (Highest Honor)

HONORS & AWARDS

• 2024   Invited Speaker, Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) of Batteries

• 2022   Young Scientist, 71st Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (Chemistry) 

• 2022  Community Editorial Board, Materials Horizons (Royal Society of Chemistry, RSC)

• 2022   Discussion Leader, Gordon Research Seminar (GRS) of Electrochemistry

• 2022, 2024   Bio-X Travel Award, Stanford University

• 2021   Caltech Student Community Service Award

• 2020   Highlight by Cover Story on Sustainability, Caltech Magazine (2020 Spring)

• 2020   Caltech Art of Science Prize

• 2017   Resnick Sustainability Institute Fellowship, Caltech

• 2016   Outstanding Graduate Representative, Wuhan University (WHU)

• 2015   Leijun Scholarship, the highest honor at WHU