Professional Biography
Dr. Zhang is a Professor in the Department of Preventive and Restorative Sciences at Penn Dental Medicine. He received his B.S. in Physics from Shanghai Normal University in 1986 and his M.S. in Physics from La Trobe University, Victoria, Australia in 1997. He went on to earn his Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Monash University, Victoria, Australia in 2002. Dr. Zhang completed his first Research Fellowship in Materials Science and Engineering at Monash University in 2002. For his second research fellowship, which was completed in 2005, Dr. Zhang worked on a joint project among New York University College of Dentistry, the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and the American Dental Association Foundation. Prior to joining Penn Dental Medicine, Dr. Zhang was on the faculty at New York University College of Dentistry in the Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics. During his time at NYU, he was recognized for his commitment to excellence in research and teaching, receiving The Kathleen C. Kinnally Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement in 2018 and the Outstanding Teaching Award, given by the Faculty Council, in 2015. Dr. Zhang’s main research interests are: (1) Developing functionally graded and nanostructured materials for dental and biomedical devices; (2) Elucidating competing damage modes in all-ceramic restorations under mastication; (3) Characterizing the wear and fatigue behavior of dental materials; and (4) Improving the fracture resistance of veneered prostheses through the reduction of deleterious residual tensile stresses.
Honors / Credentials
- Professor with tenure, Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics, New York University College of Dentistry, 2018 – 2020
- Associate Editor, The International Journal of Prosthodontics. 2019 –
- The Kathleen C. Kinnally Award for Outstanding Scientific Achievement, New York University College of Dentistry, 2018
- Member of the Oral, Dental and Craniofacial Sciences Study Section, National Institutes of Health, 2018-2020
- President, the Dental Materials Group of the International Association for Dental Research, 2018 – 2019
- Elected fellow of the Academy of Dental Materials, 2018
- Elected fellow of the American Association for Dental Research, 2017
- Editorial board member, Journal of Dental Research, 2017 – 2023
- Outstanding Teacher Award, New York University College of Dentistry, Faculty Council, 2015
- Associate Professor with tenure, Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics, New York University College of Dentistry, 2013 – 2018
- Associate Professor, Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics, New York University College of Dentistry, 2011 – 2013
- Arthur R. Frechette Award, the International Association for Dental Research/the Prosthodontics Group (2007)
- Guest Scientist, Materials Science and Engineering Laboratory, National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, 2005 – 2006
- Assistant Professor, Department of Biomaterials and Biomimetics, New York University College of Dentistry, 2005 – 2011
- Borland Research Forum Award, the Institute of Materials Engineering Australasia Victorian Branch
- Faculty, Department of Electrical Engineering, Shanghai Real Estate Specialty Institute, Shanghai, P. R. China, 1987 – 1989
Selected Publications
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Education
- Research Fellowship, New York University College of Dentistry, National Institute of Standards and Technology, American Dental Association Foundation (Joint Project), 2005
- Research Fellowship, Materials Science and Engineering, Monash University, Australia, 2002
- Ph.D., Monash University, Materials Science and Engineering, Australia, 2002
- M.S., La Trobe University, Physics, Australia, 1997
- B.S., Shanghai Normal University, Physics, P.R. China, 1986