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    • Read more about the article Audience award – Marina

    Audience award – Marina

    • Post author:webmaster
    • Post published:2026-03-12
    • Post category:Awards
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    Marina presented her work at the 12th annual postdoctoral research day at SFU, where postdocs get the opportunity to communicate the relevance and findings of their projects to peers from…

    Continue ReadingAudience award – Marina
    Read more about the article Presentation award – Halle

    Presentation award – Halle

    • Post author:webmaster
    • Post published:2026-02-27
    • Post category:Awards
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    Halle is one of the winners of the chemistry department's oral presentation competition 2026. She received a Travel and Minor Research Award for her presentation on "Exploring fluorine free, hydrocarbon…

    Continue ReadingPresentation award – Halle
    Read more about the article EDII Research Excellence Award – Ravinder

    EDII Research Excellence Award – Ravinder

    • Post author:webmaster
    • Post published:2025-08-06
    • Post category:Awards
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    Dr. Ravinder Singh recently received the "Carbon to Metal Coating Institute (C2MCI): Equity, Diversity, Inclusion & Indigenization (EDII) Research Excellence Award" award for recognition of research excellence for recognition of…

    Continue ReadingEDII Research Excellence Award – Ravinder
    Read more about the article Presentation and Poster awards – Marina and Alessandra

    Presentation and Poster awards – Marina and Alessandra

    • Post author:webmaster
    • Post published:2025-03-12
    • Post category:Awards
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    Marina and Alessandra participated in this year's postdoctoral research day at SFU. This event is an opportunity for postdocs from all faculties to present their research to fellow postdocs. In…

    Continue ReadingPresentation and Poster awards – Marina and Alessandra
    Read more about the article Presentation award – Frank
    Franklin

    Presentation award – Frank

    • Post author:webmaster
    • Post published:2025-03-03
    • Post category:Awards
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    Frank participated in the chemistry department's 2025 oral presentation competition. He presented his work titled "PE/PTFE Reinforced Sulfo-Phenylated Polyphenylene Biphenyl Membranes with Enhanced Durability for PEM Water Electrolysis" and received…

    Continue ReadingPresentation award – Frank
    Read more about the article Poster award – Lindsay

    Poster award – Lindsay

    • Post author:webmaster
    • Post published:2024-08-28
    • Post category:Awards
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    Lindsay won an award for her poster on "Investigating the impact of cathode catalyst layer on hydrogen crossover in anion exchange membrane water electrolysis" at the International Society of Electrochemistry…

    Continue ReadingPoster award – Lindsay
    Read more about the article Poster awards – Daria and Alessandra

    Poster awards – Daria and Alessandra

    • Post author:webmaster
    • Post published:2024-06-13
    • Post category:Awards
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    Congratulations to Daria and Alessandra on their outstanding poster presentations! Daria won a prize in the materials devision general session at the Canadian Chemistry Conference and Exhibition CSC in Winnipeg…

    Continue ReadingPoster awards – Daria and Alessandra
    Read more about the article Governor General’s Innovation Award – Steve

    Governor General’s Innovation Award – Steve

    • Post author:webmaster
    • Post published:2024-05-31
    • Post category:Awards
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    We are proud to announce that Steve and former PhD student of the group Ben Britton are awarded the Governor General's Innovation Award 2024. "The Innovation Awards recognize and celebrate…

    Continue ReadingGovernor General’s Innovation Award – Steve
    Read more about the article Postdoc Presentation Award – Marina

    Postdoc Presentation Award – Marina

    • Post author:webmaster
    • Post published:2024-03-12
    • Post category:Awards
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    Congratulations to Marina for being awarded the third prize in the 10th annual SFU Postdoctoral Research Day with her presentation on "Synthesis and characterisation of fluorine-free polymers in energy conversion…

    Continue ReadingPostdoc Presentation Award – Marina
    Read more about the article Undergrad Presentation Award – Daria

    Undergrad Presentation Award – Daria

    • Post author:webmaster
    • Post published:2023-12-18
    • Post category:Awards
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    Daria won the first prize for presenting the first half of her CHEM484 work at the Fall 2023 Chemistry Undergrad Research Presentation Competition at SFU, congratulations! Her presentation, titled "Synthesis…

    Continue ReadingUndergrad Presentation Award – Daria
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    Recent Posts

    • Audience award – Marina
    • Presentation award – Halle
    • Farewell, Alessandra!
    • Welcome, Chris!
    • Farewell, Ana Laura!

    Recent Comments

      Daria Cirlan

      Daria completed her B.Sc. in Chemistry and Molecular Biology & Biochemistry here at Simon Fraser University. During her degree, she explored research areas such as cell migration. She then joined the Holdcroft group in 2023 as a USRA student working on synthesizing NHC polymers for anti-corrosion purposes, but the various work in the group peaked her interest towards different research areas. She then continued working to incorporate NHC polymers in the catalyst layer of CO2 electrolysers.

      Daria joined the group to synthesize and test novel polymers in anion exchange membrane water electrolysers.

      In her spare time, you can find Daria outdoors, or crocheting and trying out all sorts of art mediums.

       

      Ravinder Singh

      Ravinder received his PhD from National Chiao Tung University (NCTU), Taiwan. He also worked as a Postdoctoral Fellow at National Taiwan University (Taiwan) and University of Waterloo (CANADA). During these eras, his research activities focused on the use of cutting-edge synthetic methodologies and technical skills for the design, efficient synthesis, and characterizations of organic chemical entities (small, supramolecular, and polymers w/and w/o post-polymerizations) for multifaceted applications such as Opto-Electronics, Sensory (Chemo-/Bio-Sensors/OTFTs), Photo-Controllable/Stimuli-Responsive, AIE-based materials (Type-I ROS PSs for Photodynamic therapy and Energy-Transfer), and Metal-Organic Frameworks (MOFs).

      Prior to this, he acquired 4 years of Pharmaceutical-Industrial Experience; where he started as a Full Time Employee (FTE) at Jubilant Chemsys Ltd., India, an innovator in custom organic synthesis of client-based research. Later, he moved to Ind-Swift Laboratories LTD, India, a leading manufacturer of bulk drugs medicines and pharmaceutical raw materials, where he was promoted to Research Associate-I.

      In the Holdcroft lab he is joining the synthetic team currently working on developing numerous N-heterocyclic carbene (NHC)-based polymers for surface-binding applications in anti-corrosion.

      In his spare time, he enjoys reading novels, playing cricket, cooking, and exploring nature.

       

      Chris Tremblay

      Chris received his Ph.D. from the University of Victoria under the supervision of Dr. Heather Buckley, where his work involved the synthesis and characterization of platinum rare-earth element nanoparticles.

      Now joining the Holdcroft group, he will be bringing his expertise in x-ray characterization and electron microscopy to explore the interactions between hydrocarbon ionomer and the components of the PEM catalyst layer.

      Outside of work you can find him mountain biking, ski touring or backpacking.

       

       

       

      Franklin Egemole

      Franklin obtained his B. Sc. in chemistry from Michael Okpara University, Nigeria. He further obtained his M. Sc. in chemistry at Illinois State University, USA where he worked on designing metal nanoparticles/polymer nanocomposites as a stable and effective quasi-homogeneous catalyst in C-C bond-forming reactions.

      He is currently working on the incorporation of hydrocarbon-based ionomers and membranes synthesized in our lab into proton exchange membrane water electrolysis.

      In his free time, he enjoys playing table tennis or watching soccer games.

      Lindsay Sanderson

      Lindsay is a proud graduate of Dalhousie University, holding a B. Eng in Chemical Engineering and having completed the enriching co-operative education program. Her journey so far has led her to Rayleigh Solar Tech, a dynamic Halifax-based startup, where she immersed herself in a 16-month endeavor to enhance carbon electrode materials for perovskite solar cells.

      Lindsay is joining the team working on anion exchange membranes and their deployment in alkaline water electrolyzers.

      Beyond her professional passion, Lindsay finds joy in running and cycling.

      Ashley Elgersma

      Ashley completed her BSc in Chemistry at The King’s University in Edmonton, Alberta. During her degree, she participated in a variety of research, including in vanadium-naphthenic acid coordination in the Athabasca oil sands, computational methods for ab-initio molecular dynamics, and the development of online chemistry education resources.

      Ashley joined the group to pursue her interests in electrochemistry and the development of materials for clean energy.

      In her spare time, Ashley enjoys spending time outdoors and playing the oboe with various community groups.

       

       

      Spencer Thomas

      Spencer obtained his BSc in Chemistry at the University of Victoria, where he synthesized and electrochemically tested gold nanoparticles as catalysts for zinc-air batteries. This work sparked his interest in green energy research.

      He is currently working on the optimization of hydrocarbon-based ionomer binders and improving their ion conductivity in the catalyst layer of PEM fuel cells.

      Outside of school his interests include snowboarding, pool, camping and hiking.

       

       

      Apurva Gangrade

      Apurva earned both her MSc and PhD in Energy Science and Engineering from the Indian Institute of Technology, Bombay. For her Master’s degree, she focused on metal hydride ceramics as hydrogen storage materials, specifically investigating the kinetics of hydrogen sorption.

      Although she began her PhD at IIT Bombay, she completed all her experimental and thesis work at Simon Fraser University (SFU), spending four years as part of our research group. Her PhD research was focused on the ion transport properties and perm-selectivity of anion exchange membranes (AEMs).

      Currently, she is working on membranes and catalyst layers for AEM CO2 electrolyzers. In her leisure hours, she enjoys dancing and painting.

       

       

      Chengkai Fan

       

      Chengkai received his M.S. degree in Polymer Chemistry from the University of Akron, United States, in 2019. He subsequently obtained his Ph.D. degree in Chemistry from the University of Notre Dame, United States, in 2024. His research focused on the design and synthesis of functional polymer and organic/inorganic hybrid materials, emphasizing the structure-property relationships.  His recent work on the synthesis of anion exchange membranes was particularly noteworthy and motivated him to join Dr. Steven Holdcroft’s research group to continue his exploration of advanced energy materials.

      Outside of research, he enjoys sim racing and playing board games.

       

      Halle Murphy

      Halle received her B.Sc in chemistry from Trent university in Peterborough, Ontario. She spent her final year of undergraduate studies researching in the inorganic materials chemistry lab under Professor Andrew Vreugdenhil, focusing on surface analysis of activated carbon and polymer composites for electrode materials. This experience sparked her interest in green energy storage and electrochemical devices, influencing Halle to join the Holdcroft group to expand her knowledge in polymer synthesis and electrochemistry.

      Outside the lab you’re likely to find Halle up before sunrise rowing Burnaby Lake, running, hiking or in the gym.

       

      Subash Rajasekar

      Subash holds a master’s degree from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras, India, specializing in metallic bipolar plates for PEM fuel cells.

      He gained industry experience as a junior manager before pursuing a collaborative Ph.D. program between SFU and the Indian Oil Corporation. His research focuses on exploring different catalysts and ion exchange membranes for fuel cells, CO2 electrolysis, and electrolyzer applications.


      Outside of his work, Subash enjoys traveling and exploring nature.

      Marina Bauer

      Marina obtained her PhD from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany, where she worked on the surface modification of graphite electrodes for lithium-ion batteries. During her PhD, she spent four months at Trinity College in Dublin, Ireland, synthesising organic linkers for metal-organic frameworks.

      She joined the group to pursue her interest in synthesising polymeric materials for electrochemical devices. 

      In her free time, she enjoys playing soccer, singing and making music.

       

      Binyu Chen

      Binyu graduated with a B. Eng. in Chemical Engineering from East China University of Science and Technology and a M. Sc in Chemistry from Memorial University of Newfoundland.

      Before joining Dr. Holdcroft’s group, he worked on developing more efficient anode catalysts for direct ethanol fuel cells.

      Now, he starts to study the water electrolysis on our anion exchange membrane (HMT-PMBI). In his free time, you may find him in the gym.