Her wider scientific activities focus on the understanding of process-microstructure-property relationships. She masters the very complex details and the intricate interplay of several advanced high-resolution characterization techniques such as electron microscopy and atom probe tomography, and at the same time, has a very good command of the theoretical concepts that are involved in her research topics. The publication track record of Dr. Zhao is very impressive considering her career stage, but beyond the bibliometric figures, several of Dr. Zhao’s papers have made a very high impact in the aluminium-alloy research community. Huan most impactful publications are concerned primarily with high-strength aluminium alloys, which are widely used in the aerospace and vehicle sectors, However, the longevity and safety particularly of high strength aluminium alloys in service can be affected by embrittlement and limited corrosion resistance. Her research highlights the interplay between lattice defects and the nano-chemistry at these defects, which is not only of great fundamental importance but also stands at the core of these industrial challenges. Particularly, her works on the understanding of grain boundary segregation and precipitation behavior during aging [Zhao et al., Acta Materialia, 156, 318-329, 2018] and her study on the interplay of chemistry and structure at grain boundaries in high strength 7xxx Al-alloys [Zhao et al., Physical Review Letter, 124 106102, 2020.] point out the complexity of solute segregation to grain boundaries and their relation to the materials’ properties.

Another important work that Ms. Zhao carried out is on the understanding of hydrogen trapping and embrittlement in high-strength Al alloys. Hydrogen, the lightest element, is extremely mobile and is known to accumulate inside metals and render them brittle. Dr Zhao made use of our dedicated cryo-transfer atom probe tomography and revealed the trapping sites of hydrogen at grain boundaries in Al-alloys for the first time, and particularly also their interplay with the preceding Mg decoration, which presents a significant advance in the understanding of hydrogen-assisted embrittlement and provides access to potential strategies to mitigate hydrogen embrittlement in engineering Al-alloys. She published the work in Nature. [Zhao et al. Nature, 602, 437-441, 2022].