Education Background
1982-1987, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, PhD, Geophysics Major
1979-1982, Chinese University of Science and Technology, MS, Seismo-geology
1976-1979, Changchun Institute of Geology, BSc, Seismo-geology

Career Experience
2015.10 till now, Professor, School of Earth Sciences and Engineering, Sun Yat-sen University
1991-2015, Research Professor, Institute of Geology, China Earthquake Administration
1987-1991, Postdoc, Center for Neotectonic Studies, University of Nevada

Research Interest

• Present-day tectonic deformation of continental interior; 
• Rate, amount and timing of tectonic deformation of the Tibetan Plateau; 
• Geological processes of Cenozoic mountain buildings; 
• Tectonic geomorphology; 
• Active tectonics and seismic hazard assessments; 
• Interactions between tectonic deformation and climate change.

Selected Scientific Program

• 1998-2003, 973 Program: Mechanism and prediction of continental strong earthquakes
• 2004-2010, 973 Program: Dynamic process and strong earthquake prediction of active tectonic block boundary
• 1997-2001, The National Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars: Tectonic evolution of northeastern Tibet Plateau and tectonic deformation of Mainland
• 2003-2006, Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China: Late Cenozoic tectonic deformation and formation of northeastern Tibet Plateau
• 2011-2015, Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China: Late Cenozoic tectonic deformation and geomorphic evolution of Qilian Mountains
• 2021-2025, Key Program of the National Natural Science Foundation of China: Mesozoic-Cenozoic basin-mountain coupling and tectonic evolution of Eastern Tianshan Mountains
• 2017-2022, Guangdong Province Introduced Innovative R&D Team: Geological processes and natural disasters around the South China Sea

Selected Publications

• Zhang, Pei-Zhen; Molnar, P.; Downs, W.; Increased sedimentation rates and grainsizes 2-4 Myr ago due to the influence of climate changes on erosion rates, Nature, 2001, 410: 891-897 
• Zhang, Pei-Zhen; Deng Q.; Zhang G; Ma J.; Gan W.; Min W.; Mao F.; Wang Q. ; Active tectonic blocks and strong earthquakes in continental China, Science in China (Series D)2003, 2003, 46(supp.): 13-24 
• Zhang, Pei-Zhen; Beware of slowly slipping faults, Nature Geoscience, 2013, 6(5): 323-324 
• Zhang, Pei-Zhen; Late Cenozoic tectonic deformation in the Tianshan Mountain and its foreland basins, Chinese Science Bulletin, 2004, 49(4): 311-313 
• Zhang, Pei-Zhen Z; Shen, Z; Wang, M; Gan, WJ; Burgmann, R; Molnar, P; Continuous deformation of the Tibetan Plateau from global positioning system data, Geology, 2004, 32(9): 809-812 
• Zhang, Pei-Zhen; Yang Z.; Gupta H.K.; Bhatia S.; Shedlock K. ; Global Seismic Hazard Assessment Program (GSHAP) in continental Asia, Annali di Geofisica, 1999, 42(6): 1167-1190 
• Zhang, Pei-Zhen; Molnar, Peter; Xu, Xiwei; Late Quaternary and present-day rates of slip along the Altyn Tagh Fault, northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, Tectonics, 2007, 26(5) 
• Zhang, Pei-Zhen; Gan, Wei-Jun; Combined model of rigid-block motion with continuous deformation: Patterns of present-day deformation in Continental China, Geological Society of America Special Paper,2008, (444): 59-71 
• Zhang, Pei-Zhen; Wen, Xue-ze; Shen, Zheng-Kang; Chen, Jiu-hui; Oblique, High-Angle, Listric-Reverse Faulting and Associated Development of Strain: The Wenchnan Earthquake of May 12, 2008, Sichuan, China, Annu.Rev. Earth Planet.Sci., 2010, 38: 353-382 
• Zhang, Pei-Zhen; A review on active tectonics and deep crustal processes of the Western Sichuan region, eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau, Tectonophysics, 2013, 584: 7-22 

Selected Awards

• 1992: The 2nd Prize, National Sci-Tech Advance Award of China
• 1998: National Natural Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars; First-level candidate for the National “Hundred, Thousand and Ten Thousand Talents Project”.
• 2004: The 2nd Prize, the National Sci-Tech Advance Award of China
• 2004: Advanced Individual Award of National Program on Key Basic Research Project of China (973 Program).
• 2005: Li Siguang Geological Science Award; National Advanced Worker.
• 2007: The 2nd Prize, National Sci-Tech Advance Award of China
• 2011: Outstanding Contribution Award of the “Eleventh Five-year Plan” for Sci & Tech Research of China.
• 2017: The 2nd Prize, National Prize for Natural Sciences
• 2018: AGU Fellow
• 2019: National Outstanding Teacher
• 2021: Southern Guangdong Innovation Award

Academic service

• Chairman, Seismological Society of China
• Director: Commission for Structural Geology and Geodynamics, Geological Society of China
• Standing Director, Chinese Association for Quaternary Research
• Standing Director, Tibetan Plateau Research Society of China