Maoyan Zhu is a research professor and Chairman of the Scientific Committee of Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, and Professor of the School of Earth and Planetary Sciences and the Center for Biological Evolution and Environment Research and Education, Nanjing University. He graduated from Changchun College of Geology and obtained his bachelor's and master's degrees in 1985 and 1988, respectively. In 1992, he received a doctor's degree from the Nanjing Institute of Geology and Palaeontology, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

Prof. Maoyan Zhu and his group focuses on the research on the origin and early evolution of multicellular organisms and animals, Neoproterozoic-Cambrian stratigraphy and palaeo-environmental changes through integrated approach. Currently, he acts as a Chinese leader of the NERK-NSFC co-funded project entitled “Perturbation of the Earth System at the Proterozoic-Phanerozoic transition and the resilience of the biosphere (BETR)” and Central Science Coordinator of a ICDP project: GRIND-ECT (Geological Research through Integrated Neoproterozoic Drilling: The Ediacaran-Cambrian Transition). Prof. Zhu is Chair of the International Sub-Committee on Cryostratigraphy, Chair of the International Working Group on Earth Series and Fortunian Stages of the International Academy of Sciences, Voting member of the International Sub-Committee on Ediacaran Stratigraphy of the International Geological Society, Voting member of the International Sub-Committee on NeoProterozoic Stratigraphy of the National Academy of Sciences, Voting member, International Subcommittee on Cambrian Stratigraphy, National Academy of Sciences, and International Subcommittee on Ediacaran Stratigraphy, International Geological Society. He has published more than 270 papers (including Nature, Nature Communications, Nature Geoscience, Science, Science Advances, PNAS, Geology) and 3 monographs with a total citation of over 13000 times and an h-index of 62.