2025/06至今：北京大学，力学与工程科学学院力学系，助理教授、研究员
2022/03-2025/06：北京大学，工学院力学与工程科学系，助理教授、研究员
2020/09-2022/03：牛津大学（University of Oxford），数学研究所，玛丽居里学者
2025，斯坦福全球前2%顶尖科学家年度影响力榜
2025，青年教师教学基本功比赛理工科类一等奖、优秀教案奖、最佳教学演示奖、和最受学生欢迎奖，北京大学
2024，年度优秀导师，北京大学工学院
2020，玛丽居里奖学金(Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship)，欧洲委员会
2019，University Graduate Continuing Fellowship，德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校
2019，优秀自费留学生奖学金，留学基金委
2018，Student Travel Award，Haythornthwaite Foundation
2017，Global Research Fellowship，德克萨斯大学奥斯汀分校
2016，郭永怀奖学金，中科院力学所
2016，院长奖学金，中科院力学所
2015，研究生国家奖学金，中科院力学所
Extreme Mechanics Letters，青年编委（2023-至今）
固体力学学报，青年编委（2026-至今）
受邀作为力学、物理、材料等领域期刊的审稿人，包括Nature Materials,Nature Communications, Science Advances, ACS Nano, Nano Letters, JMPS等期刊审稿200余篇。
部分论文列表：
1. Z. Dai*. Jump of an atomic force microscope probe towards an elastic substrate in a liquid environment.Journal of Fluid Mechanics 1013, A49 (2025).
2. W. Zheng and Z. Dai*. Universal pull-off force for separating a rigid sphere from a membrane. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 201, 106163 (2025).
3. C. Yu, W. Zeng, Z. Kou, W. Wang, L. Wang, Q. Li, X. Liu, Z. Dai*. Transparency of graphene to solid-solid van der Waals interactions. Physical Review Letters 135, 156202 (2025).
4. C. Yu, W. Zeng, B. Wang, X. Cui, Z. Gao, J. Yin, L. Liu, X. Wei, Y. Wei, Z. Dai*. Stiffer is stickier: Adhesion in elastic nanofilms. Nano Letters 25, 5, 1876–1882 (2025).
5. C. Yu and Z. Dai*. Premature jump-to-contact with elastic surfaces. Journal of the Mechanics and Physics of Solids 193, 105919 (2024).
6. Z. Dai, L. Liu*, and Z. Zhang*. Strain engineering of two-dimensional materials: Issues and opportunities at the interface. Advanced Materials 31, 1805417 (2019).
7. G. Wang†, Z. Dai†, J. Xiao†, S. Feng, C. Weng, L. Liu*, Z. Xu*, R. Huang*, and Z. Zhang*. Bending of multilayer van der Waals materials. Physical Review Letters 123, 11, 116101 (2019).
8. Z. Dai, Y. Hou, D. A. Sanchez, G. Wang, C. J. Brennan, Z. Zhang, L. Liu*, and N. Lu*. Interface-Governed Deformation of Nanobubbles and Nanotents Formed by Two-Dimensional Materials. Physical Review Letters 121, 266101 (2018).
9. D. A. Sanchez†, Z. Dai†, P. Wang, A. Cantu-Chavez, C. J. Brennan, R. Huang*, and N. Lu*. Mechanics of spontaneously formed nanoblisters trapped by transferred 2D crystals. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 115, 7884–7889 (2018).
10. G. Wang†, Z. Dai†, Y. Wang, P. Tan, L. Liu*, Z. Xu*, Y. Wei, R. Huang*, and Z. Zhang*. Measuring Interlayer Shear Stress in Bilayer Graphene. Physical Review Letters 119, 036101 (2017).