Zhiling "Zach" Zheng is an Assistant Professor of Chemistry at Washington University in St. Louis, where he directs the Deep Synthesis Lab. His group combines artificial intelligence and automation to accelerate the discovery of porous materials for sustainability and human health. In addition to investigating fundamental aspects of metal-organic framework (MOF) synthesis and new structures, he explores how large language models can aid data mining, reaction and material design, and synthesis planning.

Before joining WashU, Dr. Zheng was a BIDMaP Fellow at UC Berkeley's Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences from 2024 to 2025 and a postdoctoral researcher in the MIT Department of Chemical Engineering from 2023 to 2024 under the supervision of Professor Klavs Jensen. He earned his Ph.D. in Chemistry at the University of California, Berkeley, in 2023, working in Professor Omar Yaghi's laboratory on MOFs for atmospheric water harvesting. He holds a B.A. in Chemistry, summa cum laude, from Cornell University (2019), where he worked with Professor Kyle Lancaster.

Dr. Zheng's contributions have been recognized with the 2025 Carbon Future Young Investigator Award and the Inflection Award for AI-driven climate solutions. He was also a finalist for the Dream Chemistry Award.