Advanced Cell and Gene Therapy

Biography

Dr. Dayong Gao is a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Adjunct Professor of Bioengineering at the University of Washington College of Engineering, Seattle, WA. He is an academician of Washington State Academy of Sciences. Prior to joining the University of Washington, he was a Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Biomedical Engineering at the University of Kentucky, where he was elected and honored as Endowed Alumni Professor and Baxter Healthcare Corp Chair in Engineering. Dr. Gao’s work has been recognized and supported through numerous awards and grants from research funding agencies, including National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Defense, National Science Foundation, National Cancer Society, American Heart Association, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Whitaker Foundation, Washington Research Foundation, and many industries. Supported by major grants from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation and NIH, he currently serves as the Director and PI of an international consortium to investigate and develop optimal conditions and technology for cryopreservation of human mucosal immune cells and tissues for HIV vaccine and new drug/microbicide development and assessment.

Research Interest

Fundamental and applied cryobiology: revealing the mechanisms of cryoinjury to living biological systems at low temperatures, development of optimal methods, novel technology and instruments for long-term cryopreservation/banking of living cells, tissues and organs for cellular and gene therapy, tissue engineering, regenerative medicine and organ transplantation; Development of a new generation of artificial organs, especially artificial kidney and liver systems for treatment of end-stage kidney and liver failure; Bio-instruments and micro/nano-sensors (BioMEMS) for rapid and cost-effective diagnosis of diseases with high sensitivity and specificity.