Iris Yu

Iris Yu is an Assistant Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering department at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Her research focuses on green chemistry and biomass conversion, particularly utilizing microwave-assisted processing and green solvents to transform food and biomass waste into sustainable chemicals and materials. She actively contributes to teaching courses like Green Catalysis and Circular Economy, while leading a team of researchers in biorefinery and waste valorization projects.

Her scientific awards include the

• L'Oréal-UNESCO for Women in Science Singapore Award 2024
• MIT Technology Review Innovator Under 35 (TR35) Asia Pacific 2023
• Fellow of the Royal Society of Chemistry (2023–Present)
• Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher (Cross-Field) 2022–2023
• World's Top 2% Scientist by Stanford University 2023

Yu’s research interests span

• biomass upcycling
• microwave technology
• bioresource utilization
• catalysis fundamentals
• green and sustainable chemistry
• platform chemical production

. Her publications frequently address microwave-assisted biorefineries, catalytic hydrogenation mechanisms, and sustainable solvent impacts on biomass conversion.

She serves on editorial boards for journals like Science of the Total Environment and ACS Sustainable Chemistry & Engineering, and mentors students in the IRIS@NUS internship program. Her lab’s work has been recognized in awards such as the Best Student Poster at SIWW2024, highlighting innovative approaches like microalgae-based food waste valorization.