Yi Liu

Yi Liu is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at the Department of Chemistry, Pennsylvania State University. Her research focuses on biocatalysis and organometallic catalysis, leveraging mono- and bi-nuclear metalloenzymes for photochemical and cross-coupling reactions. She integrates protein engineering with synthetic chemistry to expand biocatalytic applications.

Education: B.S., Xiangtan University; M.Sc., Memorial University of Newfoundland (advisor: Dr. Christopher Kozak); Ph.D., McGill University (advisor: Dr. Bruce Arndtsen); Postdoc, Cornell University and Princeton University (advisor: Dr. Todd Hyster).

Research interests include enzymatic transformations, light-driven catalysis, and sustainable organic synthesis. Her work addresses challenges in expanding enzyme types for catalysis and advancing mechanistic understanding of metalloenzymes.

Notable awards include the Chinese Government Award (2021), Udho Parsini Diwan Award (2021), and Pall Dissertation Award (2020). Her lab emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches combining biochemistry and synthetic methodology.