主要从事光温协同调控植物生长发育、玉米紫外胁迫适应性机制研究。入选中国科学院青年创新促进会会员；获得国家自然科学基金青年科学基金项目支持。在Nature Communications、JIPB、The Plant Cell等国际知名学术期刊发表文章，获得国家发明授权专利2项。
Zhiwei Zhao#, Fan Feng#, Yaqi Liu#, Yawen Liu#, Fei Wang, Yifan Ni, Huafeng Liang, Wenli Hu, Shanshan Wang, Yuhan Hao, Xu Li, Jigang Li, Jia-wei Wang, Peng Zhang & Hongtao Liu*. Blue-light-enhanced interaction between ZmCRY1s and GL2 modulates epidermal wax composition in Zea mays. Nat Commun (2025). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-025-67587-7
Yaqi Liu#, Zhiwei Zhao#, Xue Zhang, Yahui Hao, Fan Feng, Yuan Chen, Ji Wang, Miaolian Ma, Jianxu Li Fang Yu, Hongtao Liu*, and Peng Zhang*. Structural assembly of maize CRY-GL2 photosignaling complex provides insights into its regulatory role in cuticular wax biosynthesis.Sci. Adv(2025). DOI:10.1126/sciadv.adz0136
赵志伟; 刘宏涛 ; 玉米籽粒生育酚含量QTL定位与机制解析——推动高营养价值玉米品种选育, 中国科学. 生命科学, 2024, 54(5): 964-966 DOI: 10.1360/SSV-2024-0052
Zhao, Z., Dent, C., Liang, H., Lv, J., Shang, G., Liu, Y., Feng, F., Wang, F., Pang, J., Li, X., Ma, L., Li, B., Sureshkumar, S., Wang, J.W., Balasubramanian, S., and Liu, H. CRY2 interacts with CIS1 to regulate thermosensory flowering via FLM alternative splicing, Nature Communications, 2022, 13(1) DOI：10.1038/s41467-022-34886-2
Ma, L; Li, X; Zhao, Z; Hao, Y; Shang, R; Zeng, D; Liu, H ; Light-Response Bric-ABrack/ Tramtrack/Broad proteins mediate cryptochrome 2 degradation in response to low ambient temperature, Plant Cell, 2021 DOI:10.1093/plcell/koab219
Wang, F#; Yuan, Z#; Zhao, Z#; Li, C; Zhang, X; Liang, H; Liu, Y; Xu, Q; Liu, H ; Tasselseed5 encodes a cytochrome C oxidase that functions in sex determination by affecting jasmonate catabolism in maize, Journal of Integrative Plant Biology, 2020, 62(2): 247-255 DOI:10.1111/jipb.12826
Li, X; Liu, C; Zhao, Z; Ma, D; Zhang, J; Yang, Y; Liu, Y; Liu, H ; COR27 and COR28 Are Novel Regulators of the COP1-HY5 Regulatory Hub and Photomorphogenesis in Arabidopsis, Plant Cell, 2020, 32(10): 3139-3154 DOI: 10.1105/tpc.20.00195.