BiCMat Team

Dr. Ran Bi is the BiCMat’s research manager. She received her Ph.D. degree from the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH, Sweden), where she worked on the biodegradation of lignocellulose materials. She became a post-doctoral researcher in UBC’s Wood Science focusing on enzymatic and chemical pre-treatment of mechanical fibers to repurpose them as high value-added bio-based nanomaterials. She collaborates closely with researchers in the group and facilitates interactions between different subgroups. Her research focuses on bioconversion, biofabrication, and valorization.

Daniel acquired his BSc. (2020) and MSc. (2022) degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Alberta. His research background includes lignin extraction, characterization, drought stress response mechanisms of trees and multivariate data analysis applied to chemical systems. Daniel’s current research focuses on using chemometrics to develop structure-property relationships between lignin feedstocks, their polymeric properties, and their resulting material product attributes.

Galen is a chemist with a focus on sustainability and green chemistry. He earned his PhD at McGill University, where he studied the solid-state chemical modification of polysaccharides using mechanochemistry. During his PhD, he completed several internships and research visits abroad and was active in the chemistry education community. At UBC, Galen works across the Chemistry and Chemical & Biological Engineering departments, developing bio-based composite materials in a Mitacs-funded project with lululemon. Outside of work, he enjoys nature, water sports, photography, and is a soccer fan.

Gio obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Chemistry from the University of the Philippines in 2017 where he carried out research in the area of natural products chemistry. Afterwards, he worked as a research assistant in the Philippine’s Nuclear Research Institute where he studied radiation protection agents. In 2021, he started his graduate studies in the chemistry of secondary metabolites found in plants and tree bark.

Zhangmin received his MSc. degree at Nanjing Forestry University in 2020. His current research field is related to the elastoplastic behavior of chitin nanocrystals using both experimental (X-ray and atomic force microscopy techniques) and simulation (molecular dynamics simulations, quantum chemistry, and the first principle calculations) methods.

Prior to joining the BiCMat group in September 2025, Maeve earned a BSc in Chemistry from McGill University. During her undergraduate research, she studied the solid-state functionalization of chitosan using mechanochemistry. Maeve also had the opportunity to study the synthesis and self-assembly of amphiphilic block-copolymers. She is currently interested in utilizing chitin to produce new materials for sustainable applications. Outside of the lab, Maeve enjoys hiking, bouldering, and baking.

Juan Pablo joined the BiCMat group in early 2023 and is currently pursuing a MASc in Chemical & Biological Engineering at UBC. He holds two bachelor’s degrees in Chemical and Environmental Engineering from Universidad de los Andes, Colombia. His work is oriented to the valorization of non-woody biomass and the production of alternative man-made cellulosic fibres (MMCFs) by wet-spinning.

Prior to joining the BiCMat group in September 2025, Carolina earned her BSc in Chemistry from Universidad del Valle, Colombia. As an undergraduate, she studied the extraction of chitosan and the synthesis of imine and hydrazone derivatives, examining their applications in metal removal, photochemistry, and fluorescence. In 2024, she completed an internship at UBC, working on the wet spinning of cellulose fibers for sustainable textiles. Her current research interests center on lignin chemistry and its potential for developing new materials with diverse applications. Outside the lab, she enjoys discovering new places and outdoor sports.

Emilie grew up in La Prairie, QC, Canada. She completed her BSc in Chemistry at Concordia University in Montréal, where she was a member of the Institute for Co-operative Education. In her undergraduate research she studied the composition of soil and sediment biomarkers, and found herself drawn to environmental chemistry and the fate of the world when faced with global warming and pollution. Currently, she studies how lignin nanoparticles from forest fires nucleate ice. In her free time, she loves hiking and cycling, as well as baking, knitting and sewing.

Mahyar has a background in materials science and engineering and is passionate about advancing new fabrication methods. As an undergraduate, he focused on learning the fundamentals of polymer science. He earned his MSc studying the electromechanical properties of soft materials and designing aerogels. For two years, he was an Elite Scholar, researching smart soft materials. He then worked as a research associate at Jiangnan University for two and a half years, focusing on smart fibers. Currently, at UBC, his research is centered on additive manufacturing, particularly embedded printing and liquid-liquid printing of polysaccharides.

Marina joined the BiCMat group in September 2021. She earned a B.S. in Biological Engineering from Purdue University. Her previous research experiences involved work in synthetic and structural biology at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Purdue Cramer Lab, and the Joint BioEnergy Institute at UC Berkeley. This work inspire Marina to synergize biobased polymers (namely cellulose and natural polyphenols) with engineered proteins. Her work realizes biocompatible and biodegradable materials that can meet advanced applications in diagnostics, tissue engineering, and filtration. Outside of lab, Marina enjoys cooking plant-based meals and going on long walks.

Yeedo joined the BiCMat group as a Ph.D. student in Chemical & Biological Engineering in 2020 after receiving his B.ASc. in Materials Engineering. Arriving with knowledge focused in conventional thermosets, he sought to work with cleaner, more sustainable chemistries and pursue applications that would displace harmful materials in high throughput industries. Yeedo hopes to one day offer novel materials to the fashion industry that will result in drastically reduced pollution, safe and just working conditions for all throughout our products’ life cycles, and new possibilities in the manufacture and design of our garments.

Shuyuan joined the BiCMat group in May 2024 as a PhD student at the University of British Columbia. He graduated from Shaanxi University of Science & Technology with a master’s degree in Biomass Chemistry and Materials Engineering. During his master’s study, he focused on cellulose nanofibers, hydrogels, and exploring their feasibilities in biomedical applications. Now, Shuyuan would like to prepare versatile hydrogels by designing the chemical structure.

Minke joined BiCMat on Oct. 2023 after obtaining her master’s degree in Food Science and Engineering from South China Agricultural University in 2022. Her previous research dealt with the encapsulation and delivery of tea polyphenol through hydrogel. Currently, she explores colloid systems with different functions. Outside the lab, she is part of the UBC dance club and Yoga studio. Sports make her more energetic.

Xin joined the BiCMat group in January 2024 as a PhD student in Chemical & Biological Engineering. She received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Food Science & Engineering from China Agricultural University. Xin previously worked on natural-based colloidal systems (nanocomplexes, emulsions, and composite hydrogels) for the encapsulation and delivery of food bioactive compounds. With the knowledge gained from her research, Xin will continue working on the structure-property relationship and interaction of biopolymers to improve their application outcomes. In her leisure time, Xin enjoys crocheting, playing the blues harmonica, and working out.

Kai joined the BiCMat group as a Ph.D. candidate in Chemistry in September 2025. He earned his bachelor’s degree from Whitman College. His past research was in the field of biocatalysis, exploring new routes to sustainably synthesizing chiral building blocks.  Kai’s current research focuses on functionalizing bacterial cellulose for use in biodegradable materials.  In his free time, he enjoys biking, reading fantasy novels, and whitewater kayaking.

Ivy received her BSc in Biological Sciences from Imperial College London in 2021. After working in the R&D team at Modern Synthesis, where she was introduced the world of bacterial cellulose, she returned to Imperial to pursue a PhD under the supervision of Professor Tom Ellis. Her research establishes the foundation for bacteria-yeast co-cultures can synthesise modified bacterial cellulose materials, with the aim of creating functionalised materials for skin therapeutic applications. Now in the final year of her PhD, she is undertaking a short research exchange with the BiCMat group to study the structure–property relationships of surface-esterified bacterial cellulose. Outside the lab, Ivy is an avid trail runner, swimmer, and surfer, and enjoys wandering around cities.

Before joining BiCMat in September 2025, Carlos finished his Bachelors Degree in Chemistry and Nanotechnology Engineering at the Tec de Monterrey University in Mexico. He has experience in microfluidic solutions and tissue engineering, and did research on bacterial motility and chaotic bioprinting. In his spare time, Carlos enjoys practicing calligraphy, exploring new places and reading.

Golshan focuses on developing, designing, and engineering bio-soft materials to address challenges in food packaging. She earned her master’s in Food science from Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, specializing in structured emulsions to replace trans and saturated fats in whipped creams. Before starting her PhD at UBC, Golshan volunteered at UBC’s Bioproducts Institute, where she investigated the use of Pickering emulsions to encapsulate oat oil with cellulose derivatives. Outside of research, she enjoys camping, swimming, and exploring cozy local cafes

Ming Teng is a doctoral candidate from Shaanxi University of Science and Technology in China who joined the BiCMat research group in November 2025 as a joint Ph.D. student. His current research focuses on designing sustainable and effective active microbial materials for human health management. Primary work centers on constructing sustained-release microneedles and delivering active microorganisms for long-term treatment of skin wounds.

Dr. Tianyu Guo is a senior researcher at BiCMat, UBC Bioproducts Institute, working on interfacial chemistry of biomass materials. She received her PhD degree in Pulp and Paper Engineering from Nanjing Forestry University. Earlier experiences included joint PhD program in University of New Brunswick. Her current work is focused on biomacromolecule-based functionalization and applications. She has experience in bio-based inks and cellulose foams for sustainable nonwovens, smart packaging, and air/water filtration.

Xuetong received a dual master’s degree in Polymer Technology at KTH Royal Institute of Technology (Sweden) and Aalto University (Finland), under the supervision of Dr. Rojas. During this time, she mastered research skills in the areas of cellulose nanofibrils, phase change materials, thermal energy storage and related phenomena. Her current research focuses on the development of multifunctional wood by physical and chemical modification.

Guangrui Ma is a doctoral student at Huazhong University of Science and Technology, under the guidance of Professor Guang Yang. He conducts research in the field of biomedical engineering. His research focuses on the preparation of nanocellulose, wound dressings, and cellulose nanocrystal structural color materials. His hobbies include hiking and researching cuisine, etc.