Dr Zhen Li is an Earth scientist and the Facility Leader of X-ray Computed Tomography at the John de Laeter Centre (JdLC), Curtin University, Western Australia. In his current appointment, he directs the infrastructural operations, instrument commissioning, and system integration of the Centre's $1.5M AUD multi-user X-ray CT platform, managing the core Thermo Fisher Scientific HeliSCAN Micro CT Mk2 system. His technical expertise centres on high-throughput volumetric data processing and the development of advanced computational workflows for non-destructive 3D imaging, structural feature extraction, and multimodal characterisation of complex geological, metallurgical, and biological assets. Drawing upon a rigorous foundation in mineralogy and petrology, Dr Li integrates 3D, 2D, and in-situ analytical techniques to resolve complex structural, physical, and geochemical properties.

From 2018 to mid-2024, Dr Li served as the JdLC Project Leader for upstream energy sector research. In this capacity, he formulated targeted industry engagement strategies, independently securing and attracting numerous high-value research contracts to Curtin University, while serving as chief investigator responsible for their comprehensive R&D management and technical delivery for commercial and government partners. To date, this framework has underpinned the successful execution of 38 commercial and public sector contracts, securing over $1.53M AUD in competitive external funding. His technical leadership includes delivering mission-critical resource mapping atlases for Western Australian state entities—including the Geological Survey of Western Australia (GSWA) and DMIRS—and executing classified technical blueprints for Tier-1 corporate resource operators.

Concurrently, Dr Li maintains a high-impact international academic record, having authored 45 peer-reviewed publications in premier geoscientific journals (such as Earth-Science Reviews, Earth and Planetary Science Letters, and Chemical Geology), accumulating over 1,900 citations (h-index: 24). He serves on the editorial board of Energy Science and regularly peer-reviews for more than 20 international SCI journals. This intersection of advanced infrastructure deployment, rigorous scientific governance, and independent contract acquisition establishes an operational foundation across energy exploration, advanced manufacturing, and ecological conservation.