Fanlin is an MSCA Fellow leading the BREATHO project, which aims to stimulate material synergies to accelerate oxygen reduction at low temperatures. The project investigates novel synergistic active sites through comprehensive studies of their local chemistry, structure, and cathodic kinetics, utilising advanced nanoscale characterisation techniques, e.g., Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometry and Isotopic Exchange Depth Profiling.

He began his scientific journey in 2012 at Shanghai University, China, where he conducted master’s studies on perovskite oxide mixed conductors. Following a brief industrial engagement as a purchasing engineer at Dongfeng Honda Engine Co., Ltd. (2015-2017), he resumed his academic path in 2017 at the Jülich Research Centre, Germany, to pursue doctoral research on composite oxide conductors. He was awarded his PhD in March 2021 by the University of Twente, the Netherlands, and subsequently continued as a postdoctoral researcher (2021-2025), advancing work on symmetric electrolyte-supported solid oxide fuel cells and asymmetric ceramic membranes.

His expertise encompasses the fundamental understanding and functional optimisation of oxide conductors, including mixed ionic-electronic conductivity, surface exchange kinetics, oxygen permeation, and mechanical reliability. He is also skilled in ceramic layer fabrication via slip casting, screen printing, dip coating, and tape casting.