Address	(Office): Rm G88, Science Centre South Block (Lab): Rm G90, Science Centre South Block
Phone	(Office): (852) 3943 6288 (Lab): (852) 3943 6113
Fax	(852) 2603 7246
Email	This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
Web	http://www.sls.cuhk.edu.hk/index.php/faculty-and-staff/teaching-staff/26-sls/faculty-and-staff/teaching-staff/82-professor-zhang-jianhua

Education

1988	Ph.D. Lancaster University
1982	B.Sc. Jiangsu Agricultural College

Positions

• Adjunct Professor of Plant Biology at School of Life Sciences
• Director of State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology

Research Interests

• Plant physiology and molecular biology under environmental stresses.
• Crop production under water-limited condition.  

Representative Publications

1. Xu W, Jia L, Shi W, Baluška F, Kronzucker HJ, Liang J, Zhang J. 2013. Tomato 14-3-3 Protein TFT4 Regulates the Integrated Modulation among Proton Efflux, Basipetal Auxin Transport and PKS5-J3 Pathway in Root Growth Response to Alkaline Stress. Plant Physiology 163, 1817-1828.
2. Xu W, Jia L, Shi W, Liang J, Zhou F, Li Q, Zhang J. 2013. Abscisic acid accumulation modulates auxin transport in the root tip to enhance proton secretion for maintaining root growth under moderate water stress. New Phytologist 197, 135-150.
3. Chen T, Xu Y, Wang J, Wang Z, Yang J, Zhang J. 2013. Polyamines and ethylene interact in rice grains in response to soil drying during grain filling. Journal of Experimental Botany 64, 2523–2538.
4. Jia L, Xu W, Li W, Ye N, Liu R, Shi L, Bin Rahman R, Fan M, Zhang J. 2013. Class III peroxidases are activated in proanthocyanidins-deficient Arabidopsis seeds. Annals of Botany 111, 839-847.
5. Xu W, Ding G, Yokawa K, Baluška F, Li Q, Liu Y, Shi W, Liang J, Zhang J. 2013. An improved agar-plate method for studying root growth and response of Arabidopsis thaliana. Scientific Reports 3, 1273.
6. Xue Y, Duan H, Liu L, Wang Z, Yang J, Zhang J. 2013. An improved crop management increases grain yield and nitrogen and water use efficiency in rice. Crop Science 53, 271-284.
7. Xing Y, Cao Q, Zhang Q, Qin L, Jia W, Zhang J. 2013. MKK5 regulates high light-induced gene expression of Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase 1 and 2 in Arabidopsis. Plant and Cell Physiology 54, 1217-1227.
8. Zhang Z, Chu G, Liu L, Wang Z, Wang X, Zhang H, Yang J, Zhang J. 2013. Mid-season nitrogen application strategies for rice varieties differing in panicle size. Field Crops Research 150, 9-18.
9. Zhi H, Tang L, Xia Y, Zhang J. 2013. Ssk1p-Independent Activation of Ssk2p Plays an Important Role in the Osmotic Stress Response in Saccharomyces cerevisiae: Alternative Activation of Ssk2p in Osmotic Stress. PLoS ONE 8(2): e54867. doi:10.1371.
10. Liu L, Chen T, Wang Z, Zhang H, Yang J, Zhang J. 2013. Combination of site-specific nitrogen management and alternate wetting and drying irrigation increases grain yield and nitrogen and water use efficiency in super rice. Field Crops Research 154, 226-235.

Research Grants

1994-1997. Research Grant Council, Competitive Earmarked Research Grant, "Antitranspiration and anti-growth activities in the xylem stream of plants growing in stressed conditions." HK$ 617,000.

1996-1999. Croucher Foundation, Hong Kong, “Early senescence of wheat at grain-filling time under water-saving cultivation.” HK$ 858,000.

2000-2003. Research Grant Council, Competitive Earmarked Research Grant,, "Soil drying in relation to the remobilization of carbon reserve during grain-filling period of rice and wheat." HK$ 855,500.

2001-2004. Research Grant Council, Competitive Earmarked Research Grant, "Partial rootzone irrigation: its physiological consequences and impact on water use efficiency." HK$ 882,000.

2004-2006. Research Grant Council, Competitive Earmarked Research Grant, "Soil drying at the grain-filling stage of rice and wheat: physiology and its application in crop production. " HK$ 748,800.

2005-2008. Research Grant Council, Competitive Earmarked Research Grant, " Assessment of irrigation methods and rice cultivars for water-limited cultivation. " HK$ 1,071,914.

2007-2011. University Grants Committee, Area of Excellence for Plant and Agricultural Biotechnology, and Hong Kong Baptist University, "Water stress on crop production: from molecular mechanism to crops in the field". HK$ 3,000,000.

2007-2010. Research Grant Council, Competitive Earmarked Research Grant, " Application of partial rootzone irrigation on cotton production in the oases of arid area" HK$ 994,406.

2008-2010. Research Grant Council, General Research Fund " Regulation of the sensitivity of stomatal movement to root signal" HK$ 659,980.

2009-2012. Research Grant Council, General Research Fund " Regulation mechanism of grain filling in inferior spikelets of super rice " HK$ 1,150,000.

2009-2012. Hong Kong Baptist University Strategic Development Fund “Using functional genomics technology to study the molecular mechanism of plant adaptation to water stress and improvement of crop water use efficiency " HK$ 3,650,000.

2011-2013. Kadoori Charitable Foundation: “Partial Rootzone Irrigation (PRI) Water Saving Technique Training Pilot Project in the arid areas of Gansu Province”. RMB 1,030,800.

2012. Ministry of Science and Technology, the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program), "Mechanism and regulation in enhancing crop water use efficiency", as Co-PI and leader for a subgroup, RMB 40,000,000. 1 Jan 2012-31 Dec 2016. (2012CB114300).

2012 Shenzhen Government, The Peacock Scheme (Overseas Talents Innovation & Entrepreneurship Funding Scheme), as Leader of the Innovative Team on Agricultural Biotechnology, for "Applied research of plant molecular biotechnology on modern agriculture", RMB 30,000,000. Jan 2012-Dec 2016.

2012 The Chinese University of Hong Kong, A special research fund for research project in plant biology, HKD 2,200,000. March 2012-Feb 2015.

2012 The Chinese University of Hong Kong FIS-A project: Cellular and Molecular Studies on Plants for Sustainable Food Supply: Molecular mechanism of plant adaptation to water stress and improvement of crop water use efficiency, HKD 1,300,000, 1 July 2012-31 June 2016 (1907032).

2013 The Chinese University of Hong Kong State Key Laboratory of Agrobiotechnology: The molecular regulation of remobilization of carbon reserve in straws of super rice. HKD 170,000, 23 May 2013-May 2014 (8300059).

2013 The Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC) Major Research Plan: Network pathways and its mechanisms of IHR1 in integrating the ABA modulation for maintaining primary root elongation under water stress. RMB 2,000,000. 1 Jan 2014-31 Dec 2015 (91317307).

Awards

2014-1 The State Natural Science Award (Second Class) from State Council, China (国家自然科学二等奖) for "Soil water dynamics in the soil-plant system and its control mechanism in the Loess Plateau".

2013-5-29 Chancellor's Distinguished Visitor, University of Missouri, Columbia, USA.

2010-12 The Scientific and Technological Progress Award (First Class) from Ministry of Education, China (教育部科技进步一等奖) Rice cultivation methods for high yield and better use of water and nutrients. 水稻高产与水分养分高效利用栽培技术的研究与应用

2010-12 The Natural Science Award (Second Class) from Ministry of Education, China (教育部自然科学二等奖) Oxidative stress signalling in crops under water stress. 干旱条件下作物应答氧化胁迫的信号转导研究

2009-2 President’s Award for Outstanding Performance in Scholarly Work. Hong Kong Baptist University.

2008-12 Profiled by Nature as one of ‘Five Crop Researchers Who Could Change the World’. Nature 456, 563-568, 2008.

2007-2 The State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (Second Class) from State Council, China (国家科技进步二等奖) for “High effective use of water in agriculture in northwest China” (ref 2006-J-201-2-17-R10).

2008-1 The Scientific and Technological Progress Award (Second Class) from Ministry of Education, China (教育部科技进步二等奖) for “Mechanisms of rice quality formation and cultivation technique” (ref 2007-280).

2002-6. First Class Award for research project “Water-soil-crop relationship and its optimum regulation in Yellow Loess Plateau”, by Yanglin Agricultural Sci-Tech Development and Industry Demonstration Park, Shaanxi, China (ref 03-1-17-R9).

2006-1. The Scientific and Technological Progress Award (Second Class) from Ministry of Education, China (教育部科技进步二等奖) for “Study and application of controlled alternative partial rootzone irrigation and deficit irrigation in crop production” (ref 2005-245).

2004-3. The Science and Technology Award (Fist Class) from Government of Shaanxi Province, China (陕西省科学技术一等奖)for “Water-soil-crop relationship and its optimum regulation in Yellow Loess Plateau”. (ref 03-1-17-R9).

2003-11. The Scientific and Technological Progress Award (Second Class) from Ministry of Education, China (教育部科技进步二等奖) for “The mechanism and regulation of rice grain filling” (ref 2003-232).

2003-11. 2003-11. The Scientific and Technological Progress Award (Second Class) from Ministry of Education, China (教育部科技进步二等奖) for “Water-saving agriculture and sustainable use of water resources” (Ref 2003-251).

Professional Activities

For editorial duties:

Associate Editor of Journal of Experimental Botany (2009- )

Associate Editor of Food and Energy Security (2011- )

Co-Editor of Journal of Integrative Plant Biology (2008- )

Handling Editor of Chinese Bulletin of Botany (2009- )

Associate Editor of Cereal Research Communications (2009-- )

Associate Editor of Plant Physiology Journal (2009-- )

Member of Journal Editorial Boards of

The Crop Journal (2013-      )

Acta Agronomica Sinica (2006-      )

Journal of Integrative Agriculture (2012-       )

Agricultural Research in the Arid Areas (2006-      )

Journal of Science, Technology and Development (2012-      )

Functional Plant Biology (2009-2012)

Journal of Experimental Botany (2002-2008)

Journal of Integrative Plant Biology (formerly Acta Botanica Sinica) (2004-2008)

For decision-making:

Board member, Content Selection & Advisory Board, Scopus, Elsevier (2009-2012 )

Board member, Yunus Center at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT)

Panel member, National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC). (2010- )

Panel member, Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST). (2011- )

Member of Selection Panel, Ministry of Education. (2010- )

Member of the Selection Panel for Hong Kong PhD Fellowship Scheme 2010 of University Grants Committee in Hong Kong

Member of Biology Panel in the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2006 of University Grants Committee in Hong Kong

Member of Biology Panel in the Research Assessment Exercise (RAE) 2014 of University Grants Committee in Hong Kong

International Panelist for the First ASAIHL (Association of Southeast Asian Institutions of Higher Learning) Young Scientist Awards (Nov 2008), sponsored by Elsevier.

International Chief Panelist for the First Annual ProSPER.Net-Scopus Young Scientist Award (June 2009), organised by the Promotion of Sustainability in Postgraduate Education and Research (ProSPER.Net), network of leading higher education institutions in Asia and the Pacific areas.

International Chief Panelist for the Young Women Researcher Award 2009 (Nov 2009), organised by the Third World Academy of Science (TWAS), Third World Organization for Women in Science (TWOWS), National Science Centre of Malaysia and Scopus of Elsevier.

International Chief Panelist for the Second Annual ProSPER.Net-Scopus Young Scientist Award (July 2010)

For advices:

Member of Government Advisory Committee, Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Conservation, Hong Kong Government (20 May 2000-19 May 2005)

Council member (Standing Committee) of Chinese Society of Plant Physiology (2009 -  )

Council member of the Botanical Society of China (2008-2012)

Council member of the Soil Science Society of China (2012-2016)

Council member of the Hong Kong Institute of Science (2008- )