Xuehua Zhang, PhD
/Xuehua Zhang/
Contact
Professor, Faculty of Engineering - Chemical and Materials Engineering Dept
- xuehua1@ualberta.ca
Overview
Area of Study / Keywords
Supervisor Nanomaterials and Nanofabrication Transport Phenomena - Fluid dynamics/ mass and heat transfer Nanomaterials and Nanofabrication Oil Sands Energy Surface Science and Engineering Surface and interfacial science
About
Professor Xuehua Zhang completed her PhD in Biomedical Engineering from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (Xujiahui Campus). After her PhD study, she first worked as an Endeavour Research Fellow in Department of Applied Math, Australian National University in Canberra (capital of Australia), and then was a postdoctoral fellow in the group of Professor William Ducker at University of Melbourne. She was awarded with a prestigious ARC Postdoctoral Fellowship and then with also ARC Future Fellowship. In September 2017, she moved to Edmonton, and was appointed as a Professor in Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta. She hold Canada Research Chair (Tier 1), and received the 2025 IUPAC Distinguished Woman in Chemistry or Chemical Engineering Award, reflecting her international recognition. Her research areas span from colloid and interface sciences, nanomaterials to chemical engineering. She leads a collaborative research group consisting of bright and highly motivated graduate students and postdocs.
Research
- Cold plasma activation (MB-CPA) as clean technology for wastewater treatment and advanced materials
- Surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS)-based wearable sensors for gout monitoring
- Microdroplet reactions
- Micro/nanobubbles in multicomponent systems out of equilibrium
- Experimental study, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations and machine learning of complex flows
Keywords: cold plasma, ultrasensitive analysis, slurry flow, wastewater, sustainable agriculture
Teaching
Thermodynamics
Soft Matter and Interfaces
Courses
CH E 243 - Engineering Thermodynamics
An introduction to the first and second laws of thermodynamics. Prerequisites: MATH 101.
Research Students
Currently accepting undergraduate students for research project supervision.
We’re accepting motivated students for honours projects, individual study, and summer research. If you’re curious, reliable, and eager to learn by doing, we’d love to hear from you. To apply, email Prof. Xuehua Zhang with the subject line “Student Research Application – [Your Name]” and include: a 1-page CV, unofficial transcript, a short paragraph on your research interests and skills, and your availability (start date, hours per week, and preferred term). Please also note any relevant coursework or prior lab/computing experience. We value diverse perspectives and welcome applicants from all backgrounds. Strong candidates may be invited for a brief chat.