Mingzhen Lu

Mingzhen Lu is an Assistant Professor of Environmental Studies at New York University, affiliated with the College of Arts & Science. His research integrates ecology, complexity science, and urban systems to explore how simple biological rules govern complex ecosystems. He leads the Lu Lab, focusing on interdisciplinary research across plant-microbial interactions, urban biogeochemistry, and theoretical ecology.

Dr. Lu holds a Ph.D. from Princeton University (2018), preceded by an M.A. from Princeton (2015) and a B.S. in Physical Geography from Peking University (2012). He previously served as an Omidyar Complexity Fellow at the Santa Fe Institute (2020–2023).

His work examines plant root roles in global biogeochemistry, symbiotic plant-microbial relationships, and vegetation regime shifts. Notable contributions include explaining latitudinal patterns of root-microbial symbioses and revealing carbon stocks in urban landfills. Recent publications highlight urban waste's role in carbon neutrality and root trait coordination in mangroves.

He is a member of SinoEco, Sigma Xi, Ecological Society of America, and the American Geophysical Union. The Lu Lab actively seeks postdocs and researchers to explore boundary-pushing questions in ecosystem ecology and global biogeochemistry.