The Bionanophotonics chair is part of the Van ’t Hoff Institute for Molecular Sciences (HIMS) where it is embedded in the Molecular Photonics research theme. With the appointment of Zhang, and his research at the interface of chemistry, physics, nanomaterials, biology and biomedicine, the institute aims to contribute to the emerging area of biologically functional nanomaterials. Zhang has strong collaborations with many world-class scientists and has pioneered several study and application fields in connecting nanomaterials, photonics and medical sciences. His expertise and network are expected to reinforce collaborative efforts with national and international academic research centres as well as industrial partners. He is already collaborating with partners at Science Park Amsterdam such as the Institute of Physics, the Swammerdam Institute for Life Sciences, and AMOLF. He also has joint projects with the university medical centres in Amsterdam (AMC) and Leiden.

Functional photonic nanomaterials

In his research, Zhang employs advanced laser spectroscopy and theoretical modelling to unravel the fundamentals of the excited states of photonic nano-systems. In particular, he focuses on the dynamics of luminescence phenomena to design and create functional photonic nanomaterials for applications in biomedicine. Zhang also finds applications for such materials in temperature/pH sensing, catalysis and solar energy utilization.

In the coming years, Zhang wants to expand his research to new photonic nanomaterials, particularly organic-inorganic hybrid materials and long-afterglow materials, as well as other nanomaterial systems attractive for biomedical applications. To ensure the valorisation of his findings, he will continue and strengthen the cooperation with IXA Innovation Exchange and SMEs in the biomedical and laser fields.

Highly committed to education

Zhang is highly committed to education, maintaining a didactic view that aims to cultivate self-learning, independent thinking, and problem-solving abilities. Over the years, he has authored and refined teaching materials to enhance the depth of understanding of bionanophotonics with students, in particular those in fields outside physics. He will integrate content related to the physical and chemical properties of nanomaterials and biomedical applications into existing BSc and MSc courses, such as Molecular Spectroscopy, Light and Matter, and Molecular Photochemistry. He also aims to collaborate with other universities to accept students in related fields for thesis projects, fostering research cooperation and expanding the pool of potential researchers.

China advisor

Hong Zhang received his undergraduate education in China and then made his scientific career in Belgium and the Netherlands. However, he has maintained ties with China throughout and holds professorial positions at Northeast Normal University and the Changchun Institute of Optics, Fine Mechanics and Physics, (Chinese Academy of Sciences, CAS). He has led joint projects within Joint Research Programs between the Netherlands (KNAW) and China (CAS). Over the years, he has become a sought-after China advisor, helping to assess the viability of collaborations with China, the quality of potential Chinese partners or the educational background of Chinese PhD/PD applicants.

See also

• Personal UvA profile page of Prof. Hong Zhang
• Novel nanoparticles with potential for enhanced deep tumour therapy
• Hong Zhang is editor of new book on photodynamic therapy
• Quantitatively understanding defects in phosphors from a nano perspective
• Funding for nanomaterials in cancer treatment
• European grant for cooperation in research on novel cancer approach
• HIMS researcher Hong Zhang receives 1 million euro NCI-TA grant
• Toward personalised postoperative cancer immunotherapy
• European Network on Upconversion Nanomaterials established