School of Packaging Sustainable Materials Group

Zhao Li is currently a Ph.D. candidate at Michigan State University's School of Packaging program.  With background of food science and chemical analysis, she is also keen in evaluation of safety of packaging materials for food-contact applications. She has published over 10 scientific papers in leading peer-reviewed journals such as ACS Green Chemistry, Journal of Chromatography A, Food Chemistry, RSC Advances, ACS Applied Polymer Materials, Food Analytical Methods, etc. Zhao has two US patents (invention disclosures) based on her doctoral research about fully recyclable and repulpable fluorine-free omniphobic coating for paper packaging products. Zhao has also been recognized by many awards, scholarships and fellowships including the Packaging Alumni Association Scholarships, A BIG Difference Award (Biogen Inc.), Gregory A. and Kathleen R. Hayes Graduate Fellowship and School of Packaging Fellowship. She is a member of American Association for the Advancement of Science and Solid Waste Association of North America. Zhao’s experiences and backgrounds are highly interdisciplinary and diverse lying at the interface of packaging, food, pharmaceutical, biotechnology, chemistry, materials in various fields of industry, academia and government. 

Project Titles worked on: Development of biobased and biodegradable coating for packaging materials.

Duration in the group: March 2018 – Present

Area of interest: sustainable and biodegradable packaging materials as a replacement of synthetic petroleum-based, polyfluoroalkyl materials; active packaging; coating; food analysis; migration and modelling