Yong Zhang

Professor Yong Zhang is a tenured full Professor in the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology at the Charles V. Schaefer, Jr. School of Engineering and Science, Stevens Institute of Technology. With over 30 years of academic experience, he leads a research group focused on high-accuracy computational chemistry with applications in sustainable chemistry, drug synthesis, and biomedical signaling molecules.

• PhD in Chemistry from Nanjing University
• BS in Chemistry from Nanjing University

His research develops computational methods to solve experimental problems, achieving 1-3% error margins against experimental data. Key areas include:

• Mechanistic studies of bioengineered catalysts for sustainable chemistry and drug synthesis
• AI-driven molecular property prediction at quantum chemistry accuracy
• Metalloprotein interactions with NO/HNO for biomedical applications
• Quantum chemical analysis of drug binding structures and activation mechanisms

Recent publications focus on biocatalytic C-H functionalization, heme protein mechanisms, and sustainable synthesis using metalloporphyrin systems. Grant support includes multiple NIH, NSF, and institutional awards.

• Over 50 research grants as Principal Investigator
• Training of 22 graduate and 40 undergraduate researchers
• 436-core computational cluster and 880-core school-wide resources

Students from his lab have won awards including ACS Undergraduate Awards and gained admission to top graduate programs. His group emphasizes inclusivity with 63% of researchers from underrepresented groups.