The Waterloo Institute for Nanotechnology (WIN), Canada’s largest nanotechnology institute and a proud supporter of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN SDGs), is committed to recognizing emerging leaders in nanoscience and nanotechnology from around the world. Each year, the WIN Rising Star Award in Nanoscience and Nanotechnology honors outstanding international researchers whose work aligns with WIN’s Research Thematic Areas and the UN SDGs.
We are delighted to announce that the 2025 WIN Rising Star Award recipient is Dr. Yanwei Lum, Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the National University of Singapore.
Award Presentation
The award was announced to Dr. Lum on December 4, 2025, accompanied by a statement and video message of his acceptance below.
"Receiving the WIN Rising Star Award is a great honor for which I am deeply grateful. This award encourages me to continue innovating and collaborating to tackle the most difficult scientific challenges in nanoscience and CO2 conversion catalysis."
Dr. Lum will officially receive the award and deliver a keynote address at WIN Day on Friday, May 1, 2026.
About Dr. Yanwei Lum
Dr. Yanwei Lum, Assistant Professor at the National University of Singapore, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering
Dr. Yanwei Lum obtained his BEng degree in Materials Science and Engineering at Imperial College London in 2012. He then received his PhD degree in Materials Science and Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley in 2018 under Prof. Joel W. Ager. This was followed by a PostDoctoral stint at the University of Toronto with Prof. Edward H. Sargent. He joined the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at the National University of Singapore as a Presidential Young Assistant Professor in 2021. His research interests include electrocatalysis for CO2 conversion, NO3- reduction and electroorganic reactions. In his independent career, he has published in top international journals such as Nat. Chem., Nat. Synth., Nat. Commun. and Sci. Adv. as the lead corresponding author. Notable awards include the ASEAN-ROK Next ASEAN Innovator Award (2021) and the MIT TR35 Innovators Under 35 Asia Pacific (2022).