Zhao Baodan, a 29-year-old principal investigator at the College of Optical Science and Engineering, Zhejiang University in east China, has won a prestigious annual award founded by the Alibaba Group in 2017 for young Chinese scholars.

Zhao became an Alibaba Academy for Discovery, Adventure, Momentum and Outlook Young Fellow with nine other young scientists on September 9, an accolade for outstanding young scholars engaged in fundamental science and applied research with the potential to contribute significantly to science and technology.

A Ph.D. in physics, Zhao is also a visiting researcher at the University of Cambridge. She explores energy loss in calcium and titanium materials and application of new semiconductor materials in optoelectronics that are more efficient and environment friendly.

The award carries a purse of 1 million yuan ($146,400) and provides other support for research such as open data resources.