Dr. Chong-Yong Lee is currently a senior research fellow at the Intelligent Polymer Research Institute, University of Wollongong. He obtained his PhD in chemistry from Monash University under supervision of Prof. Alan Bond. He has since dedicated his academic career to advancing knowledge and driving innovation in order to address the global challenges associated with transitioning to a clean energy and sustainable future.

After his postdoctoral studies in various areas of inorganic chemistry for clean energy and sustainability, firstly with Professor Patrick Schumuki's group at the University of Erlangen-Nuremberg, Germany, and later as a Marie Curie Research Fellow with Professor Erwin Reisner's group at the University of Cambridge, UK; he assumed a Vice Chancellor's Research Fellowship position at the University of Wollongong in 2015.

His research interests primarily lie in the synthesis and application of heterogeneous inorganic catalysts, and finding innovative solutions for sustainable clean energy applications. He specifically focuses on the activation of small molecules such as H2O, O2, and CO2 to produce valuable fuels. He employs a multidisciplinary approach in his research endeavours and has also expanded into translational research, which includes co-inventing a technology that has been successfully licensed to establish a spin-out company.