Yang Zhao receives 2026 CSChE Bao and Zhu Innovation Award

Yang Zhao

Professor Yang Zhao is the recipient of the 2026 CSChE Bao and Zhu Innovation Award. (Jacob Arts/Western Engineering)

Western Engineering professor Yang Zhao has been named the 2026 CSChE Bao and Zhu Innovation Award recipient, recognizing his distinguished contributions to chemical engineering research in Canada. 

Presented by the Canadian Societies for Chemical Engineering (CSChE), the Bao and Zhu Innovation Award honours an individual under the age of 40 for outstanding innovation and impact in the field. The award is sponsored by Western Engineering professor Jesse Zhu and his sister Yan Zhu in memory of their parents X. Bao and Z. Zhu.

Zhao, a professor in the department of mechanical and materials engineering, was selected for his influential work in advanced materials and energy storage technologies. His research focuses on developing next-generation materials and interfaces for energy storage devices, including work on solid-state sodium batteries aimed at improving safety, affordability and performance. 

“It is a great honour to receive the 2026 CSChE Bao and Zhu Innovation Award," says Zhao. "This recognition by the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering reflects the collective efforts of my current and previous students, collaborators, and colleagues, and underscores the importance of battery research that contributes meaningfully to Canada’s scientific and industrial landscape.”  

Over the course of his career, Zhao has published more than 160 peer-reviewed journal articles, including papers in leading scientific journals such as Nature, Science, Nature Materials, Nature Chemistry, Chemical Reviews, Joule, Advanced Materials and Energy & Environmental Science. His work has received more than 19,000 citations, with a personal H-index of 76, reflecting both the breadth and influence of his research. 

In addition to his publication record, Zhao plays a significant leadership role in the global research community. He currently serves as an editor for Materials Today and as an editorial board member for several international journals, including Nano Letters, Frontiers in Materials and Materials Today Energy and Renewables. He is also a frequent symposium organizer and co-chair for major conferences hosted by organizations such as the American Chemical Society, the Materials Research Society and the Canadian Societies for Chemistry and Chemical Engineering. 

Zhao’s research excellence has been recognized through several previous honours, including being named a Clarivate Highly Cited Researcher in 2025, receiving the Western Engineering Junior Faculty Award for Excellence in Research in 2024 and the Petro-Canada Young Innovator Award in 2023. He has also been listed on Stanford University’s annual list of the world’s top two per cent of scientists from 2019 to 2024. 

The Bao and Zhu Innovation Award will be formally presented to Zhao at the CSChE 2026 Conferences and Exhibition in May.