Dr. Novitasari Sinambela earned both her Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) and Master of Science (M.Sc.) degrees in Chemistry from the Institute of Technology Bandung (ITB), Indonesia, where she specialized in the development of homogeneous catalytic systems. She pursued her doctoral studies at the University of Ulm, Germany, where she completed her Ph.D. in Photochemistry. Her doctoral research centered on artificial photosynthesis, a field that seeks to mimic natural photosynthetic processes to convert sunlight into chemical energy. Following the completion of her Ph.D., she continued in the same research group at the University of Ulm as a postdoctoral researcher, further advancing her work on photochemical energy conversion and catalytic materials. In April 2026, she joined the Energy Materials and Sustainability Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) as a postdoctoral researcher. Her current research focuses on "Light-driven Heterogeneous Catalysis for Sustainable Fuel Production." Through her work, she aims to contribute to the advancement of sustainable energy solutions by bridging photochemistry, catalysis, and materials science.
Dr. Kashan Bashir
Postdoctoral Researcher
Dr. Kashan Bashir earned his BS in Chemical Engineering Technology from the UOG, Pakistan, followed by an M.Eng. from China University of Petroleum, China, where he specialized in catalyst development and hydrocarbon catalytic cracking. He subsequently received his Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering and Technology from Tsinghua University, China, where he investigated heterogeneous catalysis and the conversion of biomass-derived 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) into value-added chemicals. In October 2026, he joined the Energy Materials and Sustainability Unit at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) as a postdoctoral researcher. Building on his foundation in catalyst design, biomass valorization, and reaction engineering, his current research focuses on "C–N Coupling Reactions and Upcycling Waste-biomass-derived Chemicals for Sustainable Synthesis of Chemicals and Fuels." By integrating photo-/electrocatalysis and reaction engineering, he aims to develop energy-efficient and environmentally sustainable pathways for chemical and fuel production.
Anatolii Nikolenko
Rotational PhD Student
Anatolii Nikolenko earned a BSc in applied mathematics and physics from Lomonosov Moscow State University and an MSc in Energy Storage Systems from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology. During his Bachelor's and Master's degrees, he conducted electrochemical studies of polymer-based electrolytes for flow battery applications. In September 2026, he joined the Energy Materials and Sustainability Unit as a PhD student. During his rotation, he will work on "Electronic structure tuning of Co3O4 nanoparticle for oxygen evolution reaction".
