Dr. Zhou is currently a Professor, Associate Chair (Faculty) in the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering (CEE), Program Director of Bioprocess and Biotechnology (AEBC) under Nanyang Environment and Water Research Institute (NEWRI). She received her PhD degree in Chemical Engineering, from Advanced Water Management Centre (AWMC), University of Queensland, Australia, in 2008, and joined NEWRI as a Research Fellow in the same year. She joined CEE as a faculty in Sep 2014. Her research efforts have been focused on energy efficient water treatment and reclamation, and resources recovery from sludge and waste. Specifically, her research interests are (1) Energy harvesting from municipal and industrial wastewater, (2) Energy reduction in nutrient removal process, (3) Sludge management and energy recovery, (4) Nutrient recovery and reuse.

Dr. Zhou serves as an Editor for Water Research, Associate Editor for Water and Environment Journal and Board Member for ACS ES&T Water. She is a management committee member of International Water Association (IWA) Sludge Management Specialist Group. She has published more than 200 SCI tracked journal papers with H-index of 51 (Dec 2024, Web of Science), and over 40 conference contributions including 15 plenary lecture, keynote speeches and invited talks. Six of the journal publications are highly cited in Nature Communication, Water Research, ISME Journal, etc.. She is Co-Chair, Member of Steering Committee, Member of Program Committee, Member of Scientific Committee for more than 10 conferences in the past 5 years. She has filed 21 patents and 13 of the patents are granted. Three patents has been acquired by local and overseas companies in collaboration projects.

Dr. Zhou works closely with industries and has strong collaboration with local and international companies to deploy her IPs, e.g. Micron, Global Foundries, Anaergia, JFE Engineering, NSL, Conny Tech, Memstar, Leader Technologies, etc.. She has designed multiple pilot-scale, demonstration-scale and full-scale engineering systems for the companies for their water treatment and recycling and sludge treatment projects. As a PI, she has secured more than S$20 mil competitive and industry research funding since she joined School of CEE.

She is a recipient of IES Prestigious Engineering Achievement Awards due to her significant contribution to the engineering progress and the quality of life in Singapore. She is the final winner of ASEAN-US Science Prize for Women to recognize her effort in solving water and waste problems in ASEAN countries via her projects in Sri Lanka, India, Laos and Thailand. She is a recipient of L'Oreal Singapore For Women in Science National Fellowship Award for her scientific excellence in her career and as role model for the younger generation. She received prestigious Nanyang Research Award (Young Investigator) in 2021.