Gao Zhang earned his PhD in bioengineering from the University of Pennsylvania and received postdoctoral training in genomics, computational biology, and information technology at the Wistar Institute. His research spans cancer genomics, systems biology, therapeutic resistance mechanisms, cancer immunology, and brain metastasis. Prior to joining HKU, Zhang served as an assistant professor in Department of Neurosurgery at Duke University, where he made substantial contributions to the Neuro-Oncology Program. A prolific researcher, he has published extensively in high-impact journals and been honoured with prestigious awards such as the Joanna M. Nicolay Melanoma Foundation's Research Scholarship Award.