Graduates
Nicole Tratnik (Ph.D)
Troy Su (Masters)
Kabirat Bello (Ph.D)
Mohammad Mahaninia (Ph.D)
Zhuoya Wang (Ph.D)
Visiting Students
Huihui Wang (Ph.D)
Qin Chen(Ph.D)
Haonan Zhang(Ph.D)
Qixin Lu(Ph.D)
Post Doctorates
Dr. Araz Rajabi
Dr. Cheng Hao
Visiting Scholars
Dr. Limin Guo
Graduate Students
Nicole Tratnik(Ph.D)
Synthesis of Bio-based Formaldehyde Free Wood Adhesive from Starch
Nicole received her Bachelors in Honors Chemistry at the University of Waterloo while completing co-op terms at Crosslink Technologies and the Woodbridge Group in Toronto, Canada, Krka pharmaceutical company in Novo Mesto, Slovenia, and the Radiation Lab at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA. She joined Professor Ning Yan’s group in September 2016 as a Master of Science in Forestry Student focusing on the synthesis of a bio-based formaldehyde-free wood adhesive made from starch and has since transferred into her PhD.
Troy Su (Masters – Co-supervised with Prof. Lee)
Troy received his BASc in Engineering Physics with a specialization in Materials Science from Queen’s University in 2020. He began his MASc under the co-supervision of Professors Patrick Lee and Ning Yan in 2021. His research focus lies in the development of a bio-based and biodegradable alternative to flexible packaging made from polylactic acid reinforced with cellulose fibers. The composite will then be processed through a micro-/nano-layered co-extrusion assembly to create a multi-layered structure containing micro-sized layers in order to quantify the effects of fibril alignment and confined crystallization on the mechanical and barrier properties of the composite.
Kabirat Bello (Ph.D)
Development of Bio-based Insulating Polyurethane Foams for Construction Applications
Kabirat received her Bachelor’s degree in Wood Products Engineering from the University of Ibadan, Nigeria in 2012 and Master’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria in 2017. She joined Prof. Ning Yan’s group in May 2021 and would focus on developing novel bio-based insulating Polyurethane foams for construction applications using Lignin containing cellulose nanofibrils (LCNF). She enjoys cooking, planning events and movies.
Mohammad Mahaninia (Ph.D)
Mohammad completed his BSc in Chemistry (2008) and obtained two MSc degrees in applied and physical chemistry from Tehran Polytechnic (2010) and University of Saskatchewan (2014). He started his PhD study at department of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry under supervision of Prof. Yan in 2021. His research focuses on the synthesis of bio-based polymers. These types of polymers are anticipated to have considerable applications in many fields (e.g., environmental science, 3-D printing) due to their tunable and recyclable properties.
Zhuoya Wang (Ph.D)
Visiting Students
Huihui Wang (Ph.D)
I’m Huihui Wang, born in Henan Province, China. I obtained the Bachelor’s degree in July 2016 from Henan Polytechnic University and joined Huazhong University of Science and Technology in September 2016 as a Master and transferred to Ph.D. in September 2018. During my postgraduate studies, I have been focused on the efficient and green manufacturing of natural fibers. I joined Prof. Ning Yan’s group in July 2022 and would focus on developing multifunctional natural fiber fabrics. I like walking by the lake and staying at home to watch movies in my free time.
Qin Chen (Ph.D)
Qin Chen received her Bachelor’s degree in polymer materials science and engineering in 2018 and continued her Ph.D. study in biomaterial engineering at Northeast Forestry University. During her graduate studies, she focused on the preparation and application of castor oil-based water-dispersible isocyanates. She joined Prof. Yan’s group in January 2023 as a visiting Ph.D. student. Her research interests are developing isocyanate microcapsules and flame retardants from lignin. Qin likes cooking and strolling around the supermarket in her free time.
Haonan Zhang (Ph.D)
Haonan Zhang received his Bachelor’s degree in Light Chemical and Engineering at Nanjing Forestry University in 2019. After that, he was recommended to be a graduate student of Nanjing Forestry University and transferred to a Ph.D student since 2021. He joined Prof. Yan’s group in March 2023 as a visiting Ph.D. student. His research focuses on the structural activation, homogeneous regulation of lignin and its application in the field of flexible smart wearable sensors. He enjoys cooking, photography and outdoor hiking in his spare time.
Qixin Lu (Ph.D)
Qixin Lu received her Bachelor’s degree in Light Chemical Engineering at Jiangnan University in 2018. After that, she was recommended to be a graduate student of Jiangnan University and transferred to a Ph.D student since 2020. She joined Prof. Yan’s group in April 2023 as a visiting Ph.D. student. Her research focuses on the visible-near infrared spectral simulation for plant leaves. She enjoys reading and outdoor hiking in her spare time.
Postdoctoral Fellows
Dr. Araz Rajabi
Dr. Cheng Hao
Cheng received his Bachelors in Polymer Materials and Science from Taiyuan University of Technology, Taiyuan, Shanxi, China(2016), master’s degree in Materials Science from Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA (2018), and Ph.D.’s degree in Materials Science and Engineering from Washington State University, Pullman, Washington, USA (2022, supervision: Prof. Jinwen Zhang). He joined Prof. Yan’s group in September 2022 as a post-doctoral fellow. His research interests are developing flame retardants from lignin, developing lignin-based vitrimer materials/composites, and chemical recycling of industrial waste fiber-reinforced composites. Cheng likes playing video games, playing soccer, basketball and watching sports games.
Visiting Professors
Dr. Limin Guo
Limin Guo received her Master’s degree in Wood Science and Technology from the Northeast Forestry University in June 2015, and doctor’ degree in Wood based Composite Material Science and Engineering from Chinese Academy of Forestry in June 2018. She joined Prof. Ning Yan’s group in January 2023 as a visiting scholar and would focus on nanocellulose-based functional materials. She likes traveling and doing yoga.
Yan Lab 