Catalysis Research Group

We study the catalysts that produce fuels, chemicals, and power. Current projects include producing hydrogen, methanol, ammonia, and intermediates like syngas and olefins.

Using our background in chemical engineering, chemistry, reaction engineering, and materials science, we design materials and processes. Experimental and theoretical techniques are used in combination with characterization and synthesis.

We use our understanding to develop new catalysts to enable new processes.

Meet the Team

CHESTER UPHAM

Assistant Professor in Chemical and Biological Engineering, UBC
2020-current

Postdoc, Stanford University
Ph.D., University of California, Santa Barbara
B.Eng., McGill University

C-Zero, Carbon Sciences, Kimberly-Clark, and various consulting roles

Sonit Balyan

Postdoctoral researcher (2023-current)

Inductively heated methane pyrolysis

Prior education
PhD, IIT Delhi
Masters, IIT Guwahati

Genpei Cai

Postdoctoral researcher (2025-current)

Methane pyrolysis and carbon removal

Prior education
BASc, UBC
PhD, UBC

Nazanin Charchi Aghdam

Postdoctoral researcher (2025-current)

CH₄-assisted gasification/pyrolysis of lignin
Primary supervisor
Tony Bi

Prior education
PhD, University of Saskatchewan

Bingxin Hai

Postdoctoral researcher (starting in 2025)

Sustainable aviation fuels

Prior education
PhD, University of Alberta

Graduate Students

Michael Byun

PhD Student (2025-current)

Sustainable aviation fuel synthesis

Prior education:
BASc, UBC
MASc, UBC

Sawyer d’Entremont

PhD Student (2023-current)

Carbon fiber synthesis
Co-supervisor: Tony Bi

Prior education:
BASc, University of Waterloo

Natascha Miederhoff

PhD Student (2023-current)

Carbon fiber synthesis
Co-supervisor: Tony Bi

Prior education:
BASc, TU Munich
MASc, TU Munich

Wyatt Schnare

MASc Student (2024-current)

In-situ FTIR on molten metal catalysts for dry reforming

Prior education:
BASc, UBC

Rami Jubeili

MASc Student
(2024-current)

Ammonia decomposition

Prior education:
BASc, UBC

Jackie McDougall

MASc Student
(2025-current)

Methane pyrolysis

Prior education:
BASc, UBC

Mingxuan (Marcus) Zhong

PhD Student
(2025-current)

Amorphous materials for propane oxidative dehydrogenation
Co-supervisor: Yankai Cao

Prior education:
BASc, Waterloo/China University of Geosciences
MASc, Huazhong University of Science and Technology

Visiting and Undergraduate Students

Yufan (Rita) Yao

Undergraduate student
(2025-current)

Sustainable aviation fuels

Carolyn Yin

Undergraduate student
(2025-current)

Carbon products

Sohbat Sandhu

Undergraduate student
(2025-current)

Nanodroplet dynamics
Primary supervisor: Simcha Srebnik

Alumni Members

Mark Tabbara

PhD (2020-2025)

Molten metal catalysts for oxidative dehydrogenation

Prior education:
BASc, University of Waterloo
MASc, University of Waterloo

Genpei Cai

PhD (2020-2025)

Methane pyrolysis and carbon removal

Prior education
BASc, UBC

Michael Byun

MASc Student (2022-2024)

High temperature hydrogen membranes

Prior education:
BASc, UBC

Markus Pfeiffer

Visiting Master’s student, Technical University of Munich (2023)

Prior education:
BASc, Technical University of Munich

Current: MASc TU Munich

Hugo Dignoes

M.Eng Student (2022-2024)

Techno-economic analysis of propane oxidative dehydrogenation

Current:
PhD, UBC

Justyna Podmokly

Visiting Master’s student, Sorbonne University
(2024-current)

Carbon fiber production

Maryam Buraimoh

UBC Undergraduate Researcher (2024-current)

Carbon fiber production

Shafin Khan

UBC Undergraduate Researcher (2023-current)

Chemisorption on molten surfaces

Harsh Singh

UBC Undergraduate Researcher
(2024-current)

Hydrogen permeation

Nicole Chen

UBC Undergraduate Researcher

(2022-2023)

Nicole Koers

Visiting Student, University of Groningen (2022)

Current: MASc, University of Grongen

Harshita Jain

Visiting student, IIT Delhi

(2023)

Ella Zhou

UBC Undergraduate Researcher (2022)

Karl Koerber

Visiting Student, Hochschule Kempten

(2023)

Karsten Feigl

Visiting Master’s student, Technical University of Munich (2021-2022)

Current: BMW

Chris Zong

Research Associate (2021-2022)

M.Eng. Student (2020-2021)

Current: PhD at University of Oxford

Aakash Kanagala, UBC undergraduate student, 2025

Siddhant Sharma, UBC undergraduate student, 2025

Julius Dannhof, Visiting student, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, 2025

Yunyi Tang, Visiting student, Hong Kong Polytechnic University, 2025

Pia Kneidel, Visiting student, Technical University of Munich, 2023

Natascha Miederhoff, Visiting student, Technical University of Munich, 2022

Korbinian Lechner, Visiting student, Technical University of Munich, 2022

Sarah Chfira, Visiting student, Universite de Techologie Compiegne, 2022

Stephan Popp, Visiting student, RWTH Aachen University, 2022-2023

Michael Mirkes, Visiting student, Technical University of Munich, 2022-2023

Publications

For a complete list of publications, please see Google Scholar.

Opportunities

We are actively seeking future postdoctoral researchers, graduate students, visiting students, and undergraduate students. Please:

Send your CV to chester.upham@ubc.ca. Please provide the following information: degree program and university, graduation year, GPA, class rank, desired start date, research summary, and future research plans (for postdocs).
Please also apply through UBC Graduate School.

All graduate students are financially supported by either PI’s research funds or scholarships. Students holding major scholarships (e.g. NSERC) or other confirmed funding sources, are more likely to be accepted and should indicate this in their communication. Scholarship holders are also provided with an additional top-up from PI’s research funds.