He is currently a special associate researcher at Beijing Institute of Technology. He has long been engaged in research on membrane water treatment technology, membrane pollution mechanism and control methods, and functional membrane materials development. He taught the core undergraduate course "Principles of Chemical Engineering A", presided over the National Natural Science Foundation, National Key Research and Development Plan (subproject), National foreign specialist Project of Ministry of Science and Technology, and horizontal project of enterprises, etc. So far, he has published nearly 20 papers as the first/corresponding author, and served as guest editor of SCI journals Membrane and Sustainability. And more than ten industry mainstream SCI journal reviewers. As the main completion person, he won the second prize of China Petroleum and Chemical Education Excellent Teaching Achievement (ranked 4th) and the National Petroleum and Chemical Education Excellent Teaching Team Award (ranked 8th). He won the International Best Researcher Award for new scientific inventions. International Research Awards on New Science Inventions NESIN 2022), 2020-2021 Outstanding Trade Union Cadres of Beijing Institute of Technology, the 13th Beijing Institute of Technology School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering Teaching Basic Skills Competition second prize and other honors.

Focuses on membrane science and technology, the main research directions include: 1. Membrane water treatment technology and application; 2. Formation mechanism of membrane pollution and new membrane pollution control method; 3. Development of functional membrane materials; 4 Biomass resources, undertake specific research projects as follows:
[1] National Natural Science Foundation of China (22008009) : Study on the response of Microorganisms to chemical cleaning of ultrafiltration Membrane in water and its resulting behavior of organic pollutants production and migration, 2021.01-2023.12, 300,000, host [2] National Key Research and Development Plan (2021YFC2102200) : Demonstration of high-efficiency Treatment and resource recycling technology of high-salt organic wastewater, 2021707-2025.06, 909,000, school-level person in charge/sub-project leader
[3] Ministry of Science and Technology National Foreign Specialist Project (QNJ2021178002) : Photo-assisted biocatalytic coal desulphurization for sulphur-based nano-fertilizers and pesticides to enhance agricultural productivity, 2021.01-2021.12, 200000, Host
[4] Enterprise horizontal Project (201921041008) : Biological Turntable disc material trial production and film hanging test, 2019.07-2019.12, 80,000, Host
[5] Academic Initiation Program for Young Teachers of Beijing Institute of Technology: A Study on the response mechanism of microorganisms in water during Chemical cleaning of ultrafiltration Membrane, 2019.03-2022.03, 400,000, Host

2013.01-2017.01 Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Doctor of Engineering
2010.09-2013.01 University of Science and Technology Beijing, Master of Engineering
2006.09-2010.07 University of Science and Technology Beijing, Bachelor of Engineering

2018.11-present Associate Researcher, School of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering, Beijing Institute of Technology
2017.01-2018.09 Postdoctoral Researcher, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore

So far, he has been the first/corresponding author of Chem.Eng.J., J. Mem.Sci., Water Res. Nearly 20 academic papers have been published in top journals, including 14 SCI papers with an impact factor above 8.0, and 3 national invention patents have been applied for and authorized. Representative papers are as follows:
[1] Muhammad Ahmad, Maryam Yousaf, Weiwei Cai*, Zhi-Ping Zhao*. Formulation of heterometallic ZIF-8@Cu/Ni/ZnO@CNTs heterostructure photocatalyst for ultra-deep desulphurization of coal and fuels. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2023, 453, 139846. (Top Journal, IF 16.744)
[2] Li-Hao Xu, Shen-Hui Li, Heng Mao, Yan Li, Ao-Shuai Zhang, Sen Wang, Wei-Min Liu, Jing Lv, Tao Wang, Wei-Wei Cai, Le Sang, Wen-Wen Xie, Chan Pei, Zheng-Zheng Li, Ying-Nan Feng*, Zhi-Ping Zhao*. High-flexible and superhydrophobic MOF nanosheet membrane for ultrafast alcohol-water separation. Science, 2022, 378(6617), 308-312.
[3] Zeyuan Gao, Qiuying Chen, Xiaolan Song, Jingwei Wang*, Weiwei Cai*. Microbial responses to various types of chemical regents during on-line cleaning of UF membranes. Membranes, 2022, 12, 920.
[4] Zeyuan Gao, Zhi-Ping Zhao, Weiwei Cai*. Chemically induced alteration in PAC characteristics and its influences on PAC/UF water treatment: Implications for on-line membrane cleaning with NaClO. Separation and Purification Technology, 2022, 294, 121130. (Top Journal, IF 9.136)
[5] Muhammad Ahmad, Maryam Yousaf, Sen Wang, Weiwei Cai*, Le Sang, Zhengzheng Li, Zhi-Ping Zhao*. Development of rapid CO2 utilizing microbial ecosystem onto the novel&porous FPUF@nZVI@TAC@ASP hybrid for green coal desulphurization. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2022, 433, 134361. (Top Journal, IF 16.744)
[6] Sijia Yu, Jingwei Wang, Zhi-Ping Zhao, Weiwei Cai*. Simultaneous coupling of fluidized granular activated carbon (GAC) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) with ultrafiltration process: A promising synergistic alternative for water treatment. Separation and Purification Technology, 2022, 282, 120085. (Top Journal, IF 9.136)
[7] Weiwei Cai*, Jingyu Zhang, Yan Li, Qiuying Chen, Wenwen Xie, Jingwei Wang. Characterizing membrane fouling formation during ultrafiltration of high-salinity organic wastewater. Chemosphere, 2022, 287, 132057. (Top Journal, IF 8.943)
[8] Weiwei Cai*, Qiuying Chen, Jingyu Zhang, Yan Li, Wenwen Xie, Jingwei Wang. Effects of high salinity on alginate fouling during ultrafiltration of high-salinity organic synthetic wastewater. Membranes. 2021, 11(8): 590.
[9] Weiwei Cai*, Zeyuan Gao, Sijia Yu, Mingyu Lv, Yingxian Shi, Jingwei Wang. New insights into membrane fouling formation during ultrafiltration of organic wastewater with high salinity. Journal of Membrane Science, 2021, 635, 119446. (Top Journal, IF 10.53)
[10] Weiwei Cai, Jiarui Han, Xiangru Zhang, Yu Liu*. Formation mechanisms of emerging organic contaminants during on-line membrane cleaning with NaOCl in MBR. Journal of Hazardous Materials, 2020, 386, 121966. (Top Journal, IF 14.224)
[11] Weiwei Cai, Yu Liu*. Oxidative stress induced membrane biofouling and its implications to on-line chemical cleaning in MBR. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2018, 334, 1917-1926. (Top Journal, IF 16.744)
[12] Weiwei Cai, Yu Liu*. Comparative study of dissolved organic matter generated from activated sludge during exposure to hypochlorite, hydrogen peroxide, acid and alkaline: Implications for on-line chemical cleaning of MBR. Chemosphere, 2018, 193, 295-303. (Top Journal, IF 8.943)
[13] Weiwei Cai, Jiaqi Liu, Xiaohu Zhu, Xiangru Zhang, Yu Liu*. Fate of dissolved organic matter and byproducts generated from on-line chemical cleaning with sodium hypochlorite in MBR. Chemical Engineering Journal, 2017, 323, 233-242 (Top Journal, IF 16.744)
[14] Weiwei Cai, Jiaqi Liu, Xiangru Zhang, Wun Jern Ng, Yu Liu*. Generation of dissolved organic matter and byproducts from activated sludge during contact with sodium hypochlorite and its implications to on-line chemical cleaning in MBR. Water Research, 2016, 104, 44-52. (Top Journal, 2016, p. IF 13.4)
[15] Weiwei Cai, Yu Liu*. Enhanced membrane biofouling potential by on-line chemical cleaning in membrane bioreactor. Journal of Membrane Science, 2016, 511, 84-91. (Top Journal, IF 10.53)