Max Coles
Max received his BSc. (Hons I) from the University of Queensland in 2018 and went on to work as a research assistant under the supervision of Associate Professor Evan G. Moore, investigating mechanisms of photoredox catalysis using time resolved spectroscopy techniques. In 2019, Max began his PhD, also under the supervision of Associate Professor Moore, focused on the design and synthesis of earth abundant photoredox catalysts, as well as the inclusion of these photocatalytic moieties into metallo-supramolecular architectures. Currently, Max is a post-doctoral research fellow in Dr. Rowan D. Young’s research group, researching the recycling of fluorine atoms from waste fluorocarbons, and the development of novel electrophilic fluorination reagents.
Email: uqmcoles@uq.edu.au
Eric Chao
Eric completed his BSc at Loughborough University in 2018, followed by an MRes at Imperial College London in 2019. In 2020, he began his PhD at the University of Wollongong under the supervision of Richmond Lee, Stephen Pyne, and Chris Hyland, researching on the synthesis of sp³-rich
N-heterocycles via catalysis. He is currently working as a postdoctoral researcher in the Young group on the development of new electrophilic fluorinating reagents.
You will probably catch him bouldering in his free time.
Email: chi.chao@uq.edu.au
Christal Tianhong Wang
Christal Tianhong Wang completed his BSc. in Chemistry at Sichuan University, Chengdu in 2022. While there, he also completed his undergraduate thesis about metal catalytic C-H activation with Professor Jingbo Lan. After that, he completed his MSc. in Chemical Science at National University of Singapore in 2024, with thesis about ionic induced chiral coupling with Professor Ye Zhu. Christal joined Professor Rowan Young’s group in October of 2025 and is working on chiral selective FLP C-F activations. In his free time, Christal enjoys working out and collecting rocks.
Email: tianhong.wang@uq.edu.au
Indraraj Malav
Indraraj Malav completed his Bachelor of Science at Hindu College, University of Delhi. He obtained his M.Sc. from the Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee, where he conducted his master’s thesis on “Highly diastereoselective Michael addition of butenolides to nitroalkenes, Following his master’s degree, he worked as a Junior Research Fellow at the Indian Institute of Technology, contributing to projects on nitrogen-rich energetic materials. Indraraj joined the Rowdy Research Group in July 2025. His current research focuses on developing new strategies in electrophilic fluorination. Outside the laboratory, he enjoys activities such as climbing, watching movies and cooking.
Email: i.malav@student.uq.edu.au
Jiaqi Liu
Jiaqi received his Bachelor of Science degree in Chemistry from the Beijing University of Chemical Technology (BUCT) in 2023, where he participated in research on the trifluoromethylselenylation of azaaryl derivatives. He then obtained his Master of Science in Chemical Sciences from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2024, conducting research on photocatalytic activation of direct C–F bonds in small organic molecules. Following his master’s studies, Jiaqi worked as a research assistant at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, focusing on organometallic chemistry. In 2025, he commenced his PhD studies at The University of Queensland under the supervision of Dr. Rowan D. Young, where his research focuses on the synthesis and application of reagents for free radical fluorine transfer reactions. Outside the laboratory, Jiaqi enjoys playing soccer, badminton, and video games.
Email: jiaqi.liu@uq.edu.au
Sanjana Hari Krishnan
Sanjana completed her Bachelor’s (2020) and Master’s (2022) degrees in Chemistry at SRM Institute of Science and Technology in Chennai, India. She then joined the CSIR-Central Leather Research Institute as a Project Associate, where she conducted detailed NMR studies on imidazolium-based ionic liquids and their influence on the binding and dynamics of the anticancer drug doxorubicin hydrochloride. In 2025, she completed her international Master 2 in Green and Sustainable Chemistry at the University of Rennes, France, where she worked on hybrid multipoint substrate activation in a supramolecular palladium catalyst. She joined the Young Group at the University of Queensland in July 2025 to begin her PhD, focusing on C-F activation and 18F radiolabelling. Beyond the lab, she recharges through swimming and dancing, passions that bring rhythm and balance to her scientific life.