Yu Hua is an Assistant Professor at the College of Environmental Science and Engineering, Tongji University. His research centers on the molecular composition and bio-stimulatory mechanisms of phytohormone-like compounds derived from organic solid waste. He has served as principal investigator for more than ten research projects funded by the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Ministry of Education, the Science and Technology Commission of Shanghai Municipality, and other agencies. He has published 38 papers as first author and/or corresponding author in leading journals, including Environmental Science & Technology and Water Research. He holds 28 authorized invention patents, including nine U.S. invention patents. He has led award-winning innovations that received the Gold Medal at the 11th International Exhibition of Inventions and the Second Prize of the 2025 Invention and Entrepreneurship Award of the China Association of Inventions. As a major contributor, he has received three first prizes at the provincial or ministerial level. He has also supervised students who have won more than 20 awards, including a national silver medal in the China International College Students’ Innovation Competition and the Grand Prize in the National Environmental-Friendly Science and Technology Competition.