Weilai Yu

Weilai Yu is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemistry at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). His research program aims at seamlessly integrating fundamental electrochemistry, surface science, and functional material-interface design toward developing next-generation technologies for energy conversion and storage, aided by an interdisciplinary approach that combines high-throughput and autonomous experimentation with artificial intelligence. He continues to collaborate closely with researchers across the Acceleration Consortium and the University of Toronto to accelerate the discovery of sustainable energy materials and electrochemical technologies.

He received his B.S. and Ph.D. in Chemistry from Wuhan University and the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), respectively. Prior to joining HKUST, he was an Assistant Professor of Chemical Engineering and Applied Chemistry at the University of Toronto and a Postdoctoral Scholar in Chemical Engineering at Stanford University. His notable academic recognitions include the Electrochemical Society (ECS) Battery Division Postdoctoral Research Award (2025) and selection as a Young Scientist at the Lindau Nobel Laureate Meeting (2022). He currently serves as a Community Editorial Board Member of Materials Horizons, a flagship journal of the Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC).