Chao Ren specialises in applied climatology and climate design, and uses GIS, spatial modelling methods, and remote sensing techniques to study urban environmental performance and develop climate response design strategies and guidelines. Chao’s multi-dimensional, cross-disciplinary research has transferred scientific data into new knowledge to address social needs, enhance policy-making, and support evidence-based designs in mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, the Netherlands, and France since 2006.

Chao’s publications have a focus ranging from examining the relationship between urban climate and urban morphological characteristics, developing an urban climatic mapping system and a wind corridor plan, to analysing human thermal comfort and public health risk for subtropical high-density cities. Chao serves as a Chief Editor for Urban Climate, a steering committee member of the Global Heat Health Information Network, and a committee member of the Hong Kong Red Cross. She has also been elected as a board member of the International Association for Urban Climate (2017–2021). She has been involved in several international collaborative research reports, including the IPCC AR6, Climate Change and Cities ARC3.3, and the 7th Global Environment Outlook (GEO-7) of the UN Environment Programme.