2018/08-至今, 云南省农业科学院粮食作物研究所, 研究员，主要从事稻属种间杂种不育基因的研究，如野生稻与栽培稻种间杂种不育基因的克隆研究。

2012/08-2018/07，云南省农业科学院粮食作物研究所，副研究员，主要从事野生稻有利基因的挖掘和利用研究，如杂合落粒基因的定位研究。

2010/07-2012/07，云南省农业科学院粮食作物研究所，助理研究员，野生稻穗型和粒型基因的挖掘和定位，如直立穗和粒长基因的定位。

1.稻属种间杂种不育基因的定位和克隆

2.亚洲栽培稻亚种间杂种不育的遗传与定位

3.野生稻有利基因的挖掘和利用

Yu Zhang#, Jiawu Zhou#, Ying Yang#, Walid Hassan Elgamal, Peng Xu, Jing Li, Yasser Z. El-Refaee,Suding Hao and Dayun Tao. Two SNP Mutations Turned off Seed Shattering in Rice. Plants, 2019, 8(11), 475

Yu Zhang#, Jiawu Zhou#, Jing Li#,Ying Yang, Peng Xu, Dayun Tao* Mapping of S56(t) responsible for interspecifc hybrid sterility between Oryza sativa and Oryza glumaepatula. Breeding Science, 2018, 68(2): 242–247

Yu Zhang#, Jiawu Zhou#, Ying Yang#, Jing Li, Peng Xu, Xianneng Deng, Wei Deng, Zhijuan Wu, Dayun Tao* A novel gene responsible for erect panicle from Oryza glumaepatula. Euphytica, 2015, 205(3): 739-745

Yu Zhang#, Li Jing#, Zhou Jiawu, Xu Peng, Deng Xianneng, Yang Fei, Deng wei, Hu Fengyi, Tao Dayun* Seed length controlled by same locus in four different AA genome species of Genus Oryza. Rice Science, 2014,21(1):20-28

Yu Zhang, Yang Ying, Li Jing, Zhou Jiawu, Xu peng, Deng Xianneng, Deng Wei, Hu Fengyi, Wu Zhijuan, Tao Dayun* Fine mapping of interspecific hybrid sterile gene S44(t) between Oryza sativa and O.longistaminata, 7th International Rice Genetics Symposinm,2013,167-168

Hiroaki Tabuchi#, Yu Zhang#, Susumu Hattori#, Minami Omae,Sae Shimizu-Sato, Tetsuo Oikawa,Qian Qian, Minoru Nishimura, Hidemi Kitano, He Xie, Xiaohua Fang,Hitoshi Yoshida, Junko Kyozuka,Fan Chen, and Yutaka Satoc* LAX PANICLE2 of Rice Encodes a Novel Nuclear Protein and Regulates the Formation of Axillary Meristems. Plant Cell, 2011,Vol. 23: 3276–3287 (# These authors contributed equally to this work)

2013年，获云南省科技进步二等奖“规范化陆稻新品种与玉米间作技术研究与示范”，排名第9

2020年，获云南省科技进步二等奖“陆稻种间亚种间杂交育种及应用”，排名第9

2019年，获云南省青年科技奖，排名第1

2020年，获“云南省中青年学术技术带头人称号”

2018年，获云南省万人计划 “青年拔尖人才称号”