M.Eng., M.A.Sc., B.Eng, E.I.T., EPt, 

Yuanmei Zhang is the Program Coordinator of the PEOPLE Network and the NSERC PEOPLE CREATE Program, where she leads conference planning, research training initiatives, knowledge mobilization, and interdisciplinary network development. She plays a key role in coordinating collaborations among researchers, students, industry partners, government agencies, and community organizations across Canada and internationally.

As a Research Assistant and Master of Engineering graduate at Memorial University, her research focuses on marine plastic biodegradation and microplastics in marine environments. She has contributed to several peer-reviewed publications in leading environmental journals, including Eco-Environment & Health, Science of the Total Environment, and Environmental Science & Technology. Her work has been presented at international conferences and research events, including receiving the 2nd Place Best Oral Presentation Award at PEOPLE 2024.

Beyond research, Ms. Zhang actively supports professional and community engagement. She volunteers as an Administrative Officer with the Canadian Association on Water Quality and serves as Treasurer of the Chinese Association of Newfoundland and Labrador. She is also accredited as an Engineer-in-Training (EIT) with Professional Engineers and Geoscientists Newfoundland and Labrador and as an Environmental Professional-in-Training (EPt) with ECO Canada.

 

LinkedIn: Yuanmei (Mavis) Zhang

 

Academic Achievement Content

Selected publication

Zhang, Y., Cao, Y., Chen, B., & Zhang, B. (2025). A critical review on temperature-mediated marine plastic biodegradation. Eco-Environment & Health, 100177. (Cover Article)

 

 

 

 

 

Cao, Y., Zhang, B., Song, X., Dong, G., Zhang, Y., & Chen, B. (2024). Polyhydroxybutyrate plastics show rapid disintegration and more straightforward biogeochemical impacts than polyethylene under marine biofragmentation. Environmental Science & Technology, 58(32), 14496-14505. (Supplementary Cover Article)

 

 

 

 

Zhang, Y., Cao, Y., Chen, B., Dong, G., Zhao, Y., & Zhang, B. (2024). Marine biodegradation of plastic films by Alcanivorax under various ambient temperatures: Bacterial enrichment, morphology alteration, and release of degradation products. Science of the Total Environment, 917, 170527.