 Lu was previously the Provost and Senior Vice-President at the University of Queensland, and is currently the President and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Surrey in Guildford, a position he has held since April 2016.He is also an emeritus professor at the University of Queensland Institute of Bioengineering and Nanotechnology.In August 2017, Professor Lu was appointed by Prime Minister Theresa May to the Council for Science and Technology.