Jingyu Zhao

Jingyu Zhao is a Professor and Head of the Department of Fire Engineering at the College of Safety Science and Engineering, Xi’an University of Science and Technology, China. Her research focuses on coal spontaneous combustion, mine fire prevention and control, and the identification and prediction of high-temperature hazard zones in underground mines. She has carried out systematic research on the multiscale mechanisms governing coal spontaneous combustion, with particular emphasis on the mesoscopic structure of loose coal, oxygen transport, heat generation and accumulation, and the formation and migration of high-temperature zones. Her work has contributed to a deeper understanding of the coupled evolution of coal structure, oxygen supply, and thermal processes, and has provided a scientific basis for the early identification, prediction, and prevention of concealed fire hazards in coal mines. She has led several projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China and other research programs, and has developed specialized experimental systems and analytical methods for investigating coal spontaneous combustion under complex mining conditions. Professor Zhao has published more than 120 academic papers, including 53 SCI/EI-indexed papers as first or corresponding author. Her publications have received over 2,300 citations in Scopus, with an h-index of 25. She has also been granted 38 patents, including 37 Chinese invention patents and one South African invention patent. Her research achievements have been recognized through scientific and technological awards and national and provincial talent programs. Her long-term research aims to advance the scientific understanding of mine fire hazards and develop more predictive, intelligent, and proactive approaches for mine fire prevention and safety management.