HI survey of the local universe; HI deep mapping of the cosmic web and intergalactic gas; HI absorption line studies; multi-wavelength studies of interacting galaxies, starburst galaxies; star formation, ISM and molecular clouds.  Radio,  FIR and MIR spectral line/continuum imaging/observations. Astronomy software, automated data processing and analysis. Database, data mining technologies and their application in astronomy.

Currently I focus on the pilot study of a large scale HI survey of the local universe with the FAST telescope. As a member of the JCMT legacy survey, I am also involved in a number of projects that use the JCM to study the nearby star formation regions, nearby galaxies and  massive star formation regions in the Galactic plane.

(1) A Massive Protostar Embedded in the SCUBA core JCMT18354-0649S, Zhu, M., Davis, C.J., Y. Wu, Whitney, B., Robitaille, T.& Peng, R. 2011, ApJ, 739, 53
(2) Tracing Molecular Gas Mass in Extreme Extragalactic Environments: An Observational Study,
 Zhu, M., Papadopoulos, P.P.,  Xilouris, M., Kuno, N. & Lisenfeld, U. 2009 ApJ 706, 941
(3) Gas and Dust in the Taffy Galaxies: Ugc12914/15  Zhu, M., Gao, Y. Seaquist, E.R. and Dunne, L. 2007, , AJ 134, 118
(4)  The Discovery of a Massive SCUBA Core with both Inflow and Outflow Motions, Wu, Y., Zhu, M., Wei, Y., Xu, D., Zhang, Q., and Fiege, J., 2005, ApJ 628, L57
(5) Star Formation Across the Taffy Bridge: UGC 12914/15 Gao, Y., Zhu, M., and Seaquist, E.R., 2003, , AJ 126, 2171
(6) A Multitransition CO Study of the Antennae Galaxies NGC 4038/9,  Zhu, M., Seaquist, E.R., and Kuno, N., 2003, ApJ 588, 243
(7) Molecular Gas in Strongly Interacting Galaxies. I. CO (1-0) Observations,   Zhu, M., Seaquist, E.R., Davoust, E., Frayer, D.T., and Bushouse, H.A., 1999, AJ 118, 145