Yi completed her Ph.D. at McGill University with Dr. Bruce Arndtsen, where she developed palladium catalyzed carbonylation reaction for the formation of acyl electrophiles driven by visible light. Prior to that, she completed an M.Sc. at Memorial University of Newfoundland with Dr. Christopher Kozak, studying metal complexes for biodegradable polymer synthesis, and obtained her B.Sc. in Chemistry from Xiangtan University.
After her Ph.D., Yi pursued postdoctoral research at Cornell University and Princeton University with Dr. Todd Hyster, where she explored photochemistry with flavin-dependent enzymes to unlock Csp³–Csp³ cross-coupling reactions.
Yi’s path has been shaped by her interest in bridging synthetic chemistry with enzymatic catalysis to tackle challenges in organic synthesis.
Dr. Hyejin Lee
Postdoc
Hyejin completed her Ph.D. in chemistry at Duke University under the supervision of Dr. Jiyong Hong. Her doctoral research has focused on the total synthesis of a sesquiterpene lactone and its applications in medicinal chemistry and chemical biology. Before her Ph.D., she earned both a Pharm.D. and an M.S. from Seoul National University. During her master’s studies with Dr. Lak Shin Jeong, she developed modified nucleosides as antiviral agents.
Outside the lab, she enjoys practicing Aikido and trying new foods.
Dr. Jun Luo
Postdoc
Jun received his Ph.D. in chemistry from Zhejiang University under the supervision of Prof. Bingfeng Shi, where his research focused on transition-metal-catalyzed asymmetric C–H activation and the synthesis of axially chiral molecules. He then conducted postdoctoral research with Prof. Yongming Deng at Indiana University on photocatalytic C(sp³)–H functionalization enabled by pyridine N-oxide–based hydrogen atom transfer and ligand-to-metal charge-transfer strategies.
Outside the lab, he enjoys playing ping-pong.
Matthias Ngo
1st year PhD student
Matthias earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Stockton University, where he conducted undergraduate research with Prof. Kelly Keenan on the characterization of proteases in human saliva using biochemical and analytical techniques.
He joined Liu lab in Fall 2025 to explore biocatalysis for synthetic methodology development.
Outside the lab, he enjoys running and biking.
Yixuan Xu
Undergraduate Researcher
Yixuan Xu is a third-year undergraduate student at Penn State University majoring in Chemistry. She is interested in organic chemistry and enjoys learning about reaction mechanisms and synthetic methods.
Outside the lab, she enjoys cooking, snowboarding, and spending time with friends.
Sarah Sourwine
Undergraduate Researcher
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Sarah is currently a Pre-medicine major here at Penn State. Her interest in science and medicine has been shaped by experiences in leadership and collaborative environments. She joined the Liu lab in Spring of 2026 to further her chemistry knowledge through biocatalyst for synthesis.
Outside the lab, she enjoys being with her friends, going to the beach, and watching sports.
Kristy Nguyen
Undergraduate Researcher
Kristy is a junior majoring in biochemistry at Penn State University. She has conducted research in both plant virology and cancer biology, including work on a TBSV/defective interfering RNA project in Nicotiana benthamiana and studies related to lung cancer. These experiences sparked her interest in the molecular basis of disease and motivated her pursuit of research in organic synthesis.