Staff Profile

Dr Mengyao Yang is an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Science, Agriculture, and Engineering, at Newcastle University. Before joining Newcastle University, she worked as a Research Fellow at Nanyang Technological University (NTU) in Singapore, where she also completed her PhD studies. Dr Yang’s research interests include marine energy, maritime transportation, and risk management. Her research on the development of alternative energy sources in the marine and offshore sector covers hydrogen, ammonia, methanol, biofuels, electrification and wind power. 

Qualifications

2025: PhD, School of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Nanyang Technological University.

2018: MSc in Mechanical Engineering, Nanyang Technological University.

2015: BEng in Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering, Wuhan University of Technology.

Employment

2025 - Present: Assistant Professor, Newcastle University.

2025: Research Fellow, Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

2019 - 2025: Research Associate, Nanyang Technological University (NTU).

2015 - 2017: Structural Engineer, China Shipbuilding Industry Company Limited (CSIC).

Awards

2025: Best Student Paper Award at the 32nd International Conference on Transdisciplinary Engineering.

2024: Awarded the Women in Engineering, Science, and Technology (WiEST) Development Grant at Nanyang Technological University.

2023: Participated in the Imperial-TUM-NTU Global Fellows Programme.

Google Scholar:

https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=Yl9L8aoAAAAJ&hl=en

Research Interests

Marine Engineering

Maritime Transportation

Renewable Energy

Risk Management

Journal Articles

Hamzah, A. B., Yang, M., Ng, C. K. L., Liu, M., Raghavan, V. S., Boppana, B., Nguyen, V., Kang, C. W., Smith, G., & Tragethon, D. (2025). Underwater subcooled anhydrous ammonia release revisited: a one-dimensional model for the plume in water. Journal of Loss Prevention in the Process Industries, 105818.

Chen, M., Low, K.S.B., Chee, K.J., Yang, M., Lee, B.Y., Zhao, H., Christy, E., Liu, M., & Wang, Z. (2025). Towards sustainable maritime management: a re-visit of ammonia criterion values in Southeast Asian tropical seas. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 490, 137783.

Yang, M., & Lam, J.S.L. (2024). Risk assessment of ammonia bunkering operations: Perspectives on different release scales. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 468, 133757.

Chen, M., Jiang, S., Han, A., Yang, M., Tkalich, P., & Liu, M. (2024). Bunkering for change: Knowledge preparedness on the environmental aspect of ammonia as a marine fuel. Science of The Total Environment, 907, 167677.

Yang, M., & Lam, J.S.L. (2023). Operational and economic evaluation of ammonia bunkering - Bunkering supply chain perspective. Transportation Research Part D: Transport and Environment, 117, 103666.

Ng, C.K.L., Liu, M., Lam, J.S.L., & Yang, M. (2023). Accidental release of ammonia during ammonia bunkering: Dispersion behaviour under the influence of operational and weather conditions in Singapore. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 452, 131281.

Conferences and Presentations

2025: The 32nd International Conference on Transdisciplinary Engineering, Monterrey, Mexico.

2024: The 29th International Conference of Hong Kong Society for Transportation Studies, Hong Kong.

2024: The Australian Maritime Logistics Research Network 2024 Symposium, Melbourne, Australia.

2024: The International Association of Maritime Economists Conference 2024, Valencia, Spain.

2022: The Maritime and Port Logistics of the XXIV International Conference on Material Handling, Constructions and Logistics 2022, Montenegro.

2022: The International Association of Maritime Economists Conference 2022, Busan, South Korea.

As Reviewer

Transportation Research Part E: Logistics and Transportation Review

Maritime Policy & Management

International Journal of Shipping and Transport Logistics

Maritime Transport Research

Areas for PhD Supervision/ Potential PhD Projects

Maritime Decarbonisation

Renewable Energy and Sustainability

System Simulation and Optimisation

Risk Assessment and Management

Industrial Postgraduate Program (IPP)

Singaporeans and Singapore PRs are welcome to join an Industrial Postgraduate Program (IPP), which is supported by the EDB and ESG to provide fully-funded 2-year Master and 4-year PhD programs. The application is open throughout the year. More information can be found via this link https://www.ncl.ac.uk/singapore/industry-engagement/industrial-postgraduate-programme/. 

Candidates with external funding are also welcome to email me to discuss the potential postgraduate research topics.

Undergraduate (Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering Program)

NME1105 Marine Engineering 1A (Module Lead, Instructor)

NME1106 Marine Engineering 1B (Module Lead, Instructor)

NME3102 Marine Heat Engine and Future Fuels (Module Lead, Instructor)

NME3101 Integrated Work Study Programme

NME3103 Capstone Project

Overseas Immersion Programme (OIP)