Dr Gao is an expert in the synthesis and utility of novel polymeric materials, and he comes with an outstanding academic record. Dr Gao completed his B.S. and M.S. at Fudan University, Shanghai, China. He then moved to the Carnegie Mellon University where he completed his Ph.D. under the guidance of Professor Krzysztof Matyjaszewski working on the synthesis of functional polymers. Dr Gao then worked as a postdoctoral fellow at the University of California Berkeley with Professor Jean Fréchet. His most recent work has focused on the fundamental design of novel polymeric materials and their utilization in a broad range of applications including catalysis and energy conversion.