Dr. Lifang Chen obtained her PhD degree in Materials Science and Engineering in the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM-A) in Mexico City in 2007. Since March 2007, she has been a full professor with top level “Tutular C” at the Department of Petrochemical Engineering, Superior School of Chemical Engineering and Extractive Industries (ESIQIE), of the Instituto Politécnico Nacional in Mexico City.
In 2008, Dr. Chen was selected as a member of the Mexican National Researchers (level I, 2008-2014), and in 2015, she was promoted to level II (2015-2023) by the Consejo Nacional de Ciencia y Tecnologia of Mexico. Dr. Chen has received several awards or honors including the University Merit Medal by the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in 2007; the University Academic Award by the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana in 2008; Dr. Chen serves as member of reviewers committees of more than 30 international journals and Editor of Topic in the Multidiciplanary Digital Publishing Institute in 2023.
Dr. Chen is co-author of 84 refereed scientific articles (https://scholar.google.cl/citations?user=dBZIa7EAAAAJ&hl=es&oi=ao), 45 extended articles in books and proceedings of congresses, and 108 presentations in the national and international conferences. Her publications have received 1780 citations. She owned 12 author right certificates. She is director of 16 research projects and director of 13 completed theses (2 Doctor and 7 Master and 4 Bachelor theses).
Dr. Chen taught 12 different courses at both the undergraduate and postgraduate levels (110 times) in the Instituto Politécnico Nacional and the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana. She was invited as a visiting researcher to work at the Mexican Petroleum Institute (January 2015- January 2016) and a visiting professor at the Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (July 2022-July 2023).
Dr. Chen’s research interests focus on clean energy production, catalysis for oil refining, new catalytic materials and applications, environmental catalysis and photocatalysis. Currently, she is working for pruduction of clean fuels including hydrogen production by ethanol reforming, methane catalytic decomposition, biodiesel production via transesterification of unsaturated Omega-9 oleic acid and Mexican crude Jatropha curcas L. oil as feedstocks using microcapsule biocatalysts with entrapped cascade of lipase enzyme. In the petroleum field, Dr. Chen focuses on the hydroisomerization of C5, C6 and C7 and development of new mesoporous catalysts for ultralow sulfur desiel production via oxidative desulfurization technique. The third area of her investigation is photocatalysis and applications including the photocatalytic spilling of water and photodegradation of wastewater.
Apart from investigation and educational activities, Dr. Chen also enjoyes sports such as swimming and tennis etc. She is honored to receive the “Outstanding Researcher Award 2023” from Asia International Research Awards selected by Times of Research and World Research Council.