Yafang Cheng

Yafang Cheng is Director of the Aerosol Chemistry Department at the Max Planck Institute for Chemistry since 2024, with concurrent appointments as Guest Professor at Peking University (2023-) and Distinguished Guest Professor at University of Science and Technology of China (2021-). Her research integrates experimental methods, multi-scale modeling, and machine learning to advance understanding of aerosol particle dynamics and their impacts on air quality, public health, and climate change.

• Ph.D. in Environmental Sciences (Peking University, 2007)
• B.Sc. in Environmental Sciences (Wuhan University, 2001)

Her work focuses on reactive nitrogen chemistry, aerosol acidity, black carbon effects, and planetary boundary layer interactions. She has developed novel instrumentation for aerosol analysis and pioneered machine learning applications in atmospheric science.

Recent publications emphasize black carbon mitigation strategies (One Earth 2023), aerosol microdroplet pH (Chem 2023), and SARS-CoV-2 transmission modeling (Science 2021). These studies demonstrate interdisciplinary approaches spanning environmental chemistry, climate physics, and public health policy.

• Fellow: AAAS (2023), AGU (2022)
• Joanne Simpson Medal (AGU, 2022)
• Science Breakthroughs of the Year (Falling Walls, 2021)
• Highly Cited Researcher (Web of Science, 2021-2022)
• Minerva Outstanding Female Scientist Award (2014)

She has mentored 38 early-career researchers (21 postdocs, 17 PhD students) who have achieved professorships, tenured positions, and international awards. Her institutional leadership includes initiating academic exchange programs between European and Chinese institutions.