Yue Zhang
  • Assistant Professor

Biography

Professional Links

Research Interests

With increasing interactions between human beings and the environment, air pollution and climate change are two major challenges many countries face. Atmospheric aerosols, especially with sizes smaller than 2.5 μm (PM2.5), have significant health risks and climate effects due to their abilities to penetrate deeply into lungs and form clouds, while their formation mechanisms are not fully understood.

Dr. Zhang’s research aims to understand the physicochemical evolution and interactions of gas and particle phase compounds that form complex aerosol particles. Our group also examines the climate and health effects of aerosols in both outdoor and indoor environments. Current research projects include:

• Chemical evolution of organic aerosols using environmental chamber and chemical characterization techniques

• Climate effects of aerosols and their physicochemical properties: examining cloud condensation nuclei and ice nucleation properties of complex aerosols

• The role of physicochemical properties of aerosols in air quality and climate change

• Applying kinetic and reaction mechanisms derived from laboratory studies to regional and global scale models

 

Graduate Students and Postdoc Opportunities

Professor Zhang is seeking to recruit graduate students and one postdoc to connect fundamentals of atmospheric chemistry with air pollution and climate predictions. Candidates will have the opportunity to work on projects (1) using environmental chambers, state-of-the-art aerosol and gas phase mass spectrometers to examine the chemical transformation of secondary organic aerosols; (2) applying advanced physical and chemical characterization techniques to examine the mixing state and phase state of ambient aerosols; (3) bridging liquid and ice cloud formation processes with aerosol physicochemical properties. Interested students should contact Dr. Zhang for more information.

Educational Background

  • Ph.D., Environmental Sciences and Engineering, Harvard University, 2015
  • B.S., Environmental Sciences, Peking University, 2010

Awards & Honors

  • University of North Carolina Postdoctoral Award for Research Excellence, 2019
  • Best Papers of 2018 Environmental Science and Technology Letters, American Chemical Society, 2019
  • Atmospheric Chemistry Colloquium for Emerging Senior Scientists (ACCESS XIV), Brookhaven National Laboratory, 2017
  • U.S. National Science Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, 2015-2018
  • National Undergraduate Scholarship, Peking University, 2008-2009

Selected Publications