Zack studies high energy density materials (HEDMs) as part of the EXtreme EnErgy Density (EXEED) Research Center of Excellence. His research utilizes extremely high pressures in the gigapascal range to characterize and describe the interactions at play in HEDMs. His current projects involve synthesis and characterization of metal and nitrogen bearing compounds with a goal of increasing energy content. Utilizing extreme conditions allows us to study structural and chemical phenomena that would otherwise be unobservable. This is particularly useful in the field of HEDMs where a material's stability can be examined under extremely high-pressure conditions.