Shuyan obtained her bachelor's degree in chemistry at Nanjing University. She completed her tertiary education with a PhD in Organic Chemistry at the Shanghai Institute of Organic Chemistry (SIOC), Chinese Academy of Science (CAS). Her research mainly focused on the design, synthesis and applications of heteropore covalent organic frameworks (COFs). 

At Rice University, Shuyan is working with Professor Rafael Verduzco in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering. Currently, Shuyan's research focuses on developing ion selective membranes based on COF material.