Hua Li received her PhD in Applied Science (Minerals and Materials) from Ian Wark Research Institute, University of South Australia. After graduation in 2012, she worked as a research associate, lecturer and then research fellow in the discipline of chemistry at the University of Newcastle.

Hua joined the School of Molecular Sciences, University of Western Australia as a research fellow in May 2017 and joined Centre for Microscopy, Characterisation and Analysis (CMCA) as the SPM platform leader in 2019 to provide support for the SPM facilities.

Hua’s research interests centre on dynamic interfacial nanostructure and forces at liquid−solid and liquid-gas interfaces. She tries to apply fundamental findings at interfaces to applications such as environmental-friendly high performing lubricants, flue gas desulfurization and denitrification adsorbents as well as electrolytes. She uses extensive state-of-the-art facilities in CMCA, such as video-rate atomic force microscopy and external radiation scattering facilities such as ANSTO.