On 28 July 2026, Prof. ZHU Meifang, Member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and Dean of the College of Materials Science and Engineering, Donghua University, delivered a PAIR Distinguished Lecture at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), titled “Multifunctional Structural Fiber Materials for Diverse Applications”. The lecture attracted more than 100 attendees in person and approximately 14,900 online viewers across multiple social media platforms.
During the lecture, Prof. Zhu explained how advanced fibre materials have moved beyond the conventional boundaries of textiles to become strategic materials underpinning developments in aerospace, healthcare and green energy. By seamlessly integrating structural performance with functionalities such as sensing, thermal management and electrical conductivity, these materials overcome the conventional divide between structure and function.
Prof. Zhu highlighted a series of innovative technologies and application breakthroughs developed by her research team, including radiation-resistant nanofibre membranes for space exploration, flexible smart fibres for real-time physiological monitoring, and “NeuroWorm”, a biomimetic dynamic implantable fibre electrode. These advances demonstrate the broad potential of advanced fibre materials across multiple frontier fields. She also shared the team’s latest achievements in sustainable resource development and biomedicine, including high-efficiency hollow-fibre membranes for extracting lithium from seawater and advanced hydrogel fibres with self-regulating capabilities, engineered for precise cancer phototherapy.
Looking ahead, Prof. Zhu outlined her vision for the future of intelligent materials through the acronym “FIBER”: Functional, Integrated, Brainy, Electronic and Responsive. To accelerate this vision, her team collaborated with Tsinghua University to develop “AlphaFiber”, China’s first large artificial intelligence model tailored to the fibre industry. Built on an AI-Ready materials database, the system integrates a wide range of knowledge resources, including literature, patents, and experimental data from the fibre sector, and leverages large language model technology to provide intelligent research support for scientists. Through a closed-loop, data-driven R&D framework, it can accelerate materials discovery and innovation while reducing reliance on traditional trial-and-error experimentation. Prof. Zhu noted that this emerging research paradigm has the potential to advance the multiscale design and intelligent manufacturing of next-generation sustainable fibre systems, helping to meet the evolving needs of global industrial development.
The lecture concluded with a Q&A session moderated by Prof. FAN Jintu, Director of the Research Centre of Textiles for Future Fashion (RCTFF). Both in-person and online participants engaged in lively and insightful discussions with Prof. Zhu.
Please click here for an online review.
| Topics | PAIR Distinguished Lecture Series |
|---|---|
| Research Units | PolyU Academy for Interdisciplinary Research |
Prof. ZHU Meifang
Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences
Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences
Distinguished Professor and Dean
College of Materials Science and Engineering
Director of State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials
Donghua University
Prof. Meifang Zhu is an Academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and a Fellow of The World Academy of Sciences (TWAS). She is a Distinguished Professor and the Director of the State Key Laboratory of Advanced Fiber Materials at Donghua University, where her research spans the fundamental science and advanced applications of fiber materials, organic–inorganic hybrid materials, and hydrogel materials. She has served as the Principal Investigator for more than 40 national and major research projects.
Prof. Zhu has authored over 500 peer-reviewed journal publications, contributed to 10 books and book chapters, and holds more than 300 granted Chinese invention patents. Her achievements have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards, including the Second Prize of the National Technological Invention Award, the Second Prize of the National Science and Technology Progress Award, the National Innovation Competition Award, the Second Prize of the National Teaching Achievement Award, the First Prize of the Shanghai Teaching Achievement Award, and the First Prize of the Shanghai Natural Science Award.
She currently serves as Vice President of the Chinese Materials Research Society (C-MRS) and the Chinese Association of Women Scientific Workers, and is the President of the Shanghai Science Popularization Education Development Foundation and the Editor-in-Chief of Advanced Fiber Materials.
Personal Website: https://pilab.dhu.edu.cn/mtg/en/list.htm
You may also like
