Xiao-Hua Zhang is a professor in microbial oceanography at Ocean University of China. She received her PhD degree in Microbiology from Heriot-Watt University, UK, in 2001, and subsequently worked as postdoctors at Oxford University and Cambridge University, UK, before she returned to Ocean University of China. In 2004, she became full professor and a group leader at Ocean University of China. Her current research interests are microbial oceanography (including roles of marine microorganisms in driving biogeochemical cycles, quorum sensing and quorum quenching of marine bacteria, and marine bacterial taxonomy and resource development).