Dr. Zhang is a professor of materials science and engineering within the Physical Science and Engineering Division at KAUST, where he leads the Experimental Spintronics & Low-Dimensional Materials and Physics Lab (ESLP-Lab). Prior to his appointment as a professor, Zhang directed the KAUST Core Labs (2012-2014), a research infrastructure of interconnected labs, and previously managed and directed the Nanofabrication, and Imaging and Characterization Core Labs (2008-2012). Before joining KAUST in 2008, he served as a professor at Hong Kong University of Science and Technology (HKUST). Zhang’s published works, cited nearly 50,000 times, have an h-index of 104. He has won a number of accolades, including Distinguished Young Scientist Award (China), and State Natural Science Award of China (2nd class). In 2016 Professor Zhang was elected as a fellow to the American Physical Society (APS) for his contributions to macroscopic quantum tunneling of magnetization and resonant spin tunneling in magnetic molecules, as well as for the discovery of materials with large magnetocaloric effects for room temperature magnetic cooling. ​

Professor Zhang's research focuses on magnetism, magnetic materials, magneto-transport, nano materials, multiferroics materials and 2D materials. Spintronics, skyrmion,topological materials and low-dimensional materials and physics are central to his workwith KAUST’s ESLP-Lab. His research team has recently worked with hexagonal boronnitride to form 2D insulators for next-gen electronics, as well as the development ofmemristors—electrical memory devices modeled on the human brain for high-performanceand energy efficient high-capacity synaptic functioning within neuromorphic computers—constructed with 2D materials the team extracted from Van der Waal crystals.​