Hu, born in 1982, graduated from the junior class of the University of Science and Technology of China in 2002, and then went to UCLA to study PhD. During 20/200911,he joined Stanford University as a postdoctoral fellow, engaged in the application research of nanomaterials and nanostructures in energy devices. Currently, he is a professor at the University of Maryland (Park Campus) and the director of the Center for Material Innovation.

Hu is more famous for his concentration on wood research. 20 18 Hu he, a professor at the university of Maryland in the United States, jointly developed ultra-dense wood with strength comparable to that of steel. This achievement has been called "the king of wood" since it was published in Nature magazine.