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The overarching research mission of the Lu Lab is to uncover the simple laws behind the complexity of natural and human-dominated systems, and to cross-pollinate these laws across disparate domains for unexpected discoveries.
Our team brings together multi-disciplinary talents and believes in bottom-up processes that connect the dots, fostering the fertile soil where reckless ideas germinate and flourish. We integrate the power of data-mining, fieldwork, and remote sensing to feed into our theoretical quest for transferable organizing laws. Instead of worrying about tradeoffs, we identify and expand the boundary of constraints, hey, cross-boundary can be both fun and robust.
opportunities
We welcome inquiries even when no positions are listed. We are motivated by big questions, not limited by systems, techniques, or domains of knowledge. We are always on the lookout for motivated and talented scientists who are excited to push the boundaries of research in ecosystem ecology and global biogeochemistry. For inquiries about postdoc or research assistant opportunities, please contact Prof. Mingzhen Lu at ml9120@nyu.edu with the subject line: 'Inquiry_opportunities.'
Most Recent news
12-01-2024: Congratulations to Shijun for this new publication: Carbon-negative transition by utilizing overlooked carbon in waste landfills. In this paper, we explore an often-overlooked aspect of the global carbon cycle: carbon stored in modern city landfills. Landfills contribute to roughly one-tenth of global methane emissions, yet their standing carbon stock remains poorly characterized. In 346 Chinese cities alone, we estimate the landfill standing stock to be 0.5 Gigaton—equivalent to the weight of 50,000 Eiffel Towers or half the weight of all built structures in New York City, and about 1/20 of annual human carbon emissions. Studying different forms of urban waste can open new doors toward carbon neutrality. I would argue that this research positions waste study as a novel frontier in global biogeochemistry.
Contact:
Department of Environmental Studies; 285 Mercer Street, Rm. 704; New York, NY 10012; (212) 992-9670‬; mingzhen.lu@nyu.edu