Mr Yilong Fan
Higher Degree by Research Candidate
School of Chemical Engineering
College of Engineering and Information Technology
I am a PhD researcher in the School of Chemical Engineering at The University of Adelaide, with a background in pharmaceutical engineering, chemical engineering and nanomedicine. My work focuses on nanoparticle-based drug delivery systems, particularly high drug-loading formulations and fluorescence-based approaches for studying how nanoparticles behave inside cells.
My research interests sit at the interface of formulation science, bioimaging and quantitative data analysis. I am interested not only in how nanoparticles can be designed, but also in how their intracellular behaviour can be measured, interpreted and linked back to their physicochemical properties. This has led me to work with nanoprecipitation-based nanoparticle preparation, confocal fluorescence microscopy, fluorescence colocalisation analysis and Python-assisted microscopy image analysis.
Alongside my research, I have experience in teaching, tutoring and research mentoring across chemical engineering and the broader sciences. I am particularly interested in helping students develop conceptual understanding, experimental reasoning and scientific communication skills.
Across both research and teaching, I am motivated by the same central question: how can complex scientific systems be made more measurable, interpretable and useful?
I am a PhD researcher at the School of Chemical Engineering, The University of Adelaide, with a background in pharmaceutical engineering, chemical engineering and nanomedicine. My current research focuses on the design, formulation and quantitative analysis of drug-loaded nanoparticles for biomedical applications, with particular interest in how nanoparticle structure, drug loading and fluorescence behaviour influence intracellular delivery performance.
My research project investigates high drug-loading nanoparticle systems as platforms for studying cellular uptake, intracellular trafficking, lysosomal localisation, nanoparticle disassembly and potential endosomal escape. This work combines nanoprecipitation-based formulation, physicochemical characterisation, fluorescence spectroscopy, confocal microscopy and Python-assisted quantitative image analysis. By integrating formulation science with bioimaging and data analysis, my research aims to improve how nanoparticle delivery systems are evaluated and interpreted in preclinical studies.
I have an emerging teaching, mentoring and supervision profile in chemical engineering, pharmaceutical engineering and broader science education. This includes assisting in the supervision of an Honours research project on high drug-loading nanoparticles for chemo-immunotherapy, as well as tutoring and academic mentoring across chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics. I am particularly interested in helping students develop conceptual understanding, experimental reasoning, quantitative problem-solving skills and scientific communication.
Research Interests
- Drug-loaded nanoparticles for biomedical applications
- High drug-loading formulation strategies
- Polymeric nanoparticles and lipid-based nanocarriers
- Nanoprecipitation and nanoparticle self-assembly
- Fluorescence-based nanoparticle tracking
- Confocal microscopy and quantitative bioimaging
- Intracellular trafficking, lysosomal localisation and endosomal escape
- Nanoparticle disassembly and drug release behaviour
- Python-assisted microscopy image analysis
- Preclinical nanomedicine evaluation
| Language | Competency |
|---|---|
| Chinese (Mandarin) | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| English | Can read, write, speak, understand spoken and peer review |
| Date | Institution name | Country | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2023 | University of Adelaide | Australia | PhD |
| 2021 - 2023 | University of Adelaide | Australia | Master of Engineering (Biopharmaceutical) |
| 2016 - 2021 | University of Adelaide | Australia | BoE (Chemical and Pharmaceutical) (Honours) |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2026 | Zhao, Z., Xu, L., Liu, Y., Wang, X., Hui, Y., Fan, Y., . . . Zhao, C. -X. (2026). Topical delivery of high-drug-loading nanoparticle gels for psoriasis treatment.. Journal of nanobiotechnology, 24(1), 15 pages. |
| 2026 | Xu, L., Lan, Z., Zewail, M. B., Fan, Y., & Zhao, C. X. (2026). Nanoprecipitation-induced formation of nanoparticles for drug delivery. Current Opinion in Colloid and Interface Science, 83, 102014-1-102014-20. Scopus1 |
| 2025 | Zewail, M. B., Yang, G., Fan, Y., Hui, Y., Zhao, C., & liu, Y. (2025). Cell Membrane‐Coated Lipid Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery. Aggregate, 6(7), e70054-1-e70054-45. Scopus21 WoS20 |
| Year | Citation |
|---|---|
| 2021 | Fan, Y., Ghayesh, M. H., & Lu, T. (2021). Enhanced Vibration Energy Harvesting Using Mechanical Stoppers and Parametric Resonances. In S. Oberst, B. J. Halkon, J. C. Ji, & T. Brown (Eds.), Vibration Engineering for a Sustainable Future: Numerical and Analytical Methods to Study Dynamical Systems, Vol. 3 (pp. 173-179). Springer International Publishing. DOI |
Assisted in the supervision of an Honours research project: Engineering High Drug-Loading Nanoparticles for Enhanced Chemo-Immunotherapy (CHEM ENG 4520 – Research Project), from February to July 2025. This role included guiding the student in experimental planning, nanoparticle formulation, research discussion, data interpretation, project development and scientific writing.
Science tutor and academic mentor for secondary and undergraduate students across chemistry, biology, physics and mathematics. This role included supporting students with conceptual understanding, problem-solving strategies, assessment preparation, scientific reasoning and academic communication.
| Date | Role | Research Topic | Location | Program | Supervision Type | Student Load | Student Name |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 - 2025 | Co-Supervisor | Engineering High Drug-Loading Nanoparticles for Enhanced Chemo-Immunotherapy | The University of Adelaide | CHEM ENG 4520 | Honours | Full Time | Yash Patil |
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