Yan grew up in Baoding, China. He earned his B.S. in Chemistry from Southern University of Science and Technology (SUSTech) in Shenzhen in 2020, under the supervision of Prof. Xin-Yuan Liu. After his graduation, Yan moved to Shanghai and spent one year working in Chinese Academy of Sciences, developing room temperature phosphorescence materials in Prof. Kaka Zhang’s lab. He then moved to Pasadena to pursue his Ph.D. under the supervision of Prof. Maxwell Robb at Caltech. His doctoral research was primarily focused on developing mechanochromic polymers and stimuli-responsive materials. Yan joined the Stache lab in 2026. Outside of lab, Yan enjoys hiking, following basketball, and exploring local breweries.