Education

2012 – 2016    PhD in Organic Chemistry.
Thesis title: ‘Stereochemical Control in Complex Molecule Synthesis.’
Supervisor: Professor Martin Banwell, Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University,   Canberra, Australia.

2015                Doctoral Research Exchange Programme.
                        Completed under the supervision of Professor Samir Zard, Laboratoire DCSO,
                        École Polytechnique, Paris, France.

2006 – 2011    Bachelor of Science with Honours (1^st Class): final honours mark 93/100.
Chemistry double major – high distinction average.
Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

2006 – 2010    Bachelor of Arts.
Philosophy major, Italian major – distinction averages.
Australian National University, Canberra, Australia.

2009 – 2010    ANU Undergraduate Exchange Programme.
University of Bologna, Italy.

Academic Awards

2016                Pearl River Foreign Young Talent Attraction Grant. ¥600 000 RMB research grant awarded by the  Guangdong Province, China. Only 5 applicants were successful in 2016.

2015                Vice-Chancellor's HDR Travel Grant. Australian National University.

2012                AS Sargeson Award for Excellence in Chemistry. Australian National University.

2011                Adrian Albert Award (for Best Honours Thesis in Chemistry). Australian National University.

2008 & 2009   ANU Chancellor’s Award (for Outstanding Performance in Undergraduate Studies). Australian National University.

Representative Professional Experience

2020 – Present
High Level Foreign Talent, Jinan University(Guangzhou, China). 
Carrying out original scientific researcher based on an independently devised research programme. The position involves the daily practical elaboration of advanced organic chemistry techniques in the laboratory as well as composing articles for internationally recognised scientific journals and grant applications for National Chinese scientific bodies. In addition, the role involves extensive supervisory work of PhD and Masters candidates.

2019 – Present      
Specialist Editor (Science), AsiaEdit.
 Editing the final drafts of scientific papers and research grant applications by drawing on my knowledge of research chemistry to express ideas in a way that other experts in the field find natural and understandable. The position involves correcting the spelling, grammar and flow of arguments in an intended publication, as well as critiquing the scientific rigour of an author’s work and making constructive suggestions about how to present a more thorough piece of original or proposed research. The day to day work is carried out in almost total independence and mediated though an online portal.

2019 – Present      
Physical and Life Sciences Editor, Cambridge Proofreading and Editing.
Working as a specialist editor as part of a global network of experienced editing professionals. The day to day work is performed in almost total independence and involves liaising directly with clients to improve the grammar and punctuation, field-specific word choice, academic style and tone, sentence structure and flow and coherence of ideas in scientific documents. As part of this role I also generate thorough feedback reports for clients which, among other things, offer guidance regarding how to improve the overall scientific rigour and effectiveness of communication of a piece of work.  

2017 – 2019   
External Scientific Evaluator, Australian Pesticides and Veterinary Medicines Authority (APVMA).
Performing scientific assessments of data provided to the APVMA by applicants seeking Australian Government approval and registration of new pesticide and veterinary medicine active constituents. The role included generating reports based on government policies and regulations that evaluated the manufacturing, identification and physio-chemical properties data of new active constituents or new sources of already approved active constituents. The work was carried out under the supervision of Professor John Carver, the then Director of the Research School of Chemistry at the Australian National University, Canberra.

2016 – 2017   
Post-Doctoral Fellow, College of Pharmacy, Jinan University (Guangzhou, China). 
Independent research and supervisory/management work carried out at Jinan University. My research focus involved a multidisciplinary application of chemical synthesis and biological testing techniques to design, evaluate and optimise novel cancer therapeutics. The role included supervising and coordinating the daily research activity of a group of approximately 15 postgraduate students.

2014        
Academic in Charge, Advanced Synthesis and Catalysis Laboratory Course, Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University.
Demonstrating advanced synthetic chemistry techniques to final-year undergraduate students in groups of 10–15 students. The position involved the successful coordination of students’ efforts to effectively realise their synthetic targets.

2009 – 2010   
Chemistry Research Assistant, Research School of Chemistry, Australian National University.
 Paid work involving the design and synthesis of complex organic molecules and unsupervised laboratory-based research. The role also involved extensive structural elucidation of novel synthetic compounds and quantification of experimental results using standard analytic techniques.

2008 – 2011   
Science LaboratoryDemonstrator and Course Tutor, Chemistry Department, Australian National University.
 Teaching and tutoring chemistry to students with minimal or no previous knowledge, as well as first- and second-year students. The position involved presenting small group tutorials (10–15 students), supervising the laboratory work of a group of 15 students over 6 months and delivering presentations and lectures to groups of up to 250 students.

Publications

1.  Teng, Ying-Lai; Lan, Ping; White, Lorenzo V.*; Banwell, Martin G.* The useful biological properties of sucrose esters: opportunities for the development of new functional foods. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition , 2023, 1-18.

2.  Hu, N., He, Y. T., Lan, P., Banwell, M. G., & White, L. V*. Six-step total syntheses of (−)-galanthamine and (−)-N-norgalanthamine. Australian Journal of Chemistry, 2022, 75(12), 974-982.

3.  Tan, Shen, He, Yu-Tao, Lan, Ping, Banwell, Martin G.,* White, Lorenzo V.* A Seven-Step Total Synthesis of (–)-Thebaine. Synthesis, 2022, 55, 1700–1705.

4.  Tan, Shen; Lan, Ping; Banwell, Martin G.; White, Lorenzo V.* Practical, multigram preparation of synthetically useful, enantiomerically pure building-blocks from quinic acid. SynOpen, 2022, 6, 306–311.

5.  White, L. V., Hu, N., He, Y. T., Banwell, M. G., & Lan, P. Expeditious access to morphinans by chemical synthesis. Angewandte Chemie, 2022, 134(27), e202203186.

6.  S. Tan, M. G. Banwell, W.-C. Ye, P. Lan, Lorenzo. V. White.* The Inhibition of RNA Virises by Amaryllidadeae Alkaloids: Opportunities for the Development of Broad-Spectrum Anti-Coronavirus Drugs Chem. Asian J. 2022, 17, e202101215. (Featured on journal cover art).

7.  Yuan, Ting-Ting; Chen, Jing; Pham, Le Nhan; Paul, Sayan; White, Lorenzo V.; Li, Jialong; Lan, Ping; Coote, Michelle L; Banwell, Martin G.*; He, Yu-Tao* Visible light-mediated syntheses of unsammetrical methylene-bridged bis-heterocycles via an alkoxy radical relay reaction. Organic Cheminstry Frontiers2023, 10, 4649.

8.  Banwell, M. G., White, L. V., & Ye, S. Y. Formal Total Syntheses of (+)-and (−)-Aspidophytine from a Common, Homochiral Precursor. The Journal of Organic Chemistry, 2022, 87(21), 14407-14421.

9.  J.-Q. Chen, M.-Y. Liang, C. Qing, Y. Teng, Lorenzo V. White, M. G. Banwell, A. Li, Y. Wang and P. Lan.* Investigation of the Emulsifying and In Vitro Digestive Properties of High-Purity Sucrose Mono-Stearate Esters ACS Food Sci. Technol. 2022, 2, 1662.

10. J. Chen, D. Ma, C. Zeng, Lorenzo V. White, H. Zhang, Y. Teng, P. Lan*. Solasodine Suppresses MCF7 Breast Cancer Stem-Like Cells via Targeting Hedgehog/Gli1 Phytomedicine, 2022, 107, 154448.

11. J.-P. Zhu, M.-Y. Liang, Y.-R. Ma, Lorenzo. V. White, M. G. Banwell, Y. Teng and P. Lan.* Enzymatic Synthesis of a Homologous Series of Long- and Very Long-Chain Sucrose Esters and uation of Their Emulsifying and Biological Properties Food Hydrocoll. 2022, 124 (Part A), 107149.