Lei Yang

Lei Yang is an Assistant Professor at the School of Environmental Science and Engineering, Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen, China, where he leads the Environmental Electrochemistry Laboratory. He joined SUSTech in February 2021 after completing postdoctoral research at Wetsus and Wageningen University in the Netherlands, where he received the NWO Take-off Grant.

Dr. Yang earned his PhD in Environmental Technology from Wageningen University (2016-2019), following a Master's degree in Environmental Engineering from Wuhan University (2012-2015) and a Bachelor's degree from Hunan University of Science and Technology (2008-2012). During his studies, he was a visiting student at National Cheng Kung University in Taiwan (2014).

His research focuses on wastewater treatment and resource recovery, with special emphasis on environmental electrochemistry, phosphate recovery, carbon sequestration, and metals recovery from various waste streams. His lab's mission is to innovate solutions for the water-food-energy nexus challenge through energy-efficient electrochemical processes.

Analysis of his recent publications (2024-2025) reveals a strong trend toward practical electrochemical applications for resource recovery, with particular focus on phosphate and nutrient recovery from wastewater, nitrate reduction for ammonia production, and metal extraction from acid mine drainage. His work increasingly integrates real-world conditions and sustainable material use (e.g., recycled aluminum, iron scrap) into electrochemical systems.

• Marine Sklodowska-Curie Fellow
• Natural Science Award of Hubei Province, China (Third-Class)
• Marcel Mulder Prize (highest honor for Wetsus researcher)
• Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-Financed Students Abroad
• Outstanding Master Thesis of Hubei Province

Dr. Yang serves as a regular reviewer for top environmental journals including Environmental Science & Technology, Water Research, and Chemical Engineering Journal. His lab currently holds the NWO Take-off Grant (€40,000) for electrochemical phosphorus recovery research. As a Doctoral Supervisor at SUSTech, he leads research on energy-efficient wastewater treatment and resource recovery technologies.

The Environmental Electrochemistry Laboratory at SUSTech, under Dr. Yang's leadership, develops innovative electrochemical systems for addressing water-food-energy challenges. Current projects focus on scaling up electrochemical phosphorus recovery, developing sustainable treatment for landfill leachate, and creating novel approaches for metal recovery from acid mine drainage using electrochemical activation of common minerals.