Prof. Rongbao Gao | Viral Disease | Best Researcher Award 

Prof. Rongbao Gao | Viral Disease | National institute for viral disease control and prevention | China

Prof. Rongbao Gao is a senior virologist at the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, China CDC, whose education culminated in a Ph.D. in Virology from a leading Chinese university. His professional experience spans national and international work in influenza virus surveillance, viral immunology, pathogenesis of viral pneumonia and the development of novel diagnostic and vaccine technologies. Early in his career, he served as a guest researcher fellow in the Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) during the 2009 H1N1 pandemic, where he contributed to global response efforts. Over the years, his research interests have focused on zoonotic influenza emergence, viral host-pathogen interactions, antiviral diagnostic platform development, and broad-spectrum vaccine design and evaluation. He has developed strong research skills in molecular virology (including RT-PCR, viral isolation, reverse genetics), animal modelling, immunological assay development, bioinformatic sequence analysis and network surveillance systems. His leadership experience includes heading national influenza surveillance laboratory networks, coordinating multi-centre international projects on avian and human influenza viruses and serving on advisory committees of international virology and public health organisations. Major awards and honours include the CDC NCEZID Recognition Award for his work on the 2009 pandemic H1N1, and several Chinese national scientific and technological honours for his contributions on H5N1 and H7N9 work. He is a member of IEEE/ACM-aligned professional society groups (for example virus diagnostics working groups), and holds an ORCID ID (0000-0003-1139-3607) and SciProfiles ID (2719750). With more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals (e.g., NEJM, The Lancet, Nature, Clinical Infectious Diseases) he has established a strong citation record and international research network. Looking ahead, Prof Gao is well positioned to further advance sensing and diagnostic technologies for emerging viruses, foster interdisciplinary collaborations integrating biosensing, nanotechnology and AI, and mentor the next generation of global health scientists. In conclusion, Prof Rongbao Gao’s distinguished academic credentials, sustained high-impact research, leadership in international collaborations and strong future trajectory make him an outstanding candidate for major awards in sensing technology and viral diagnostics.

Professional Profiles: ORCID

Featured Publications 

1. Zhou, J., Wang, L., … Gao, R. (2014). Epidemiology of Human Infections with Avian Influenza A(H7N9) Virus in China. The New England Journal of Medicine, 370(6), 520-532. [Citations ~2361]

2. Gao, R., Gao, Y., Wen, L., Shao, M., Zou, S., Li, C., Yang, L., Li, X., Wang, W., & Shu, Yuelong. (2011). Development and implementation of the quality control panel of RT-PCR and real-time RT-PCR for avian influenza A (H5N1) surveillance network in mainland China. BMC Infectious Diseases, 11, 67. [Citations ~500+]

3. Zou, S., Guo, W., Pu, S., Dong, L., Zhu, W., Gao, R. (2025). The Development of a Novel Broad-Spectrum Influenza Polypeptide Vaccine Based on Multi-Epitope Tandem Sequences. Vaccines, 13(1), 81.

4. Zou, S., Guo, W., Pu, S., Dong, L., Zhu, W., Gao, R. (2025). Construction and Research Progress of Animal Models and Mouse Adapted Strains of Seasonal Influenza Virus. Vaccines, 13(10), 1077.

5. Zhu, W., Li, X., Dong, L., Gao, R. (2022). Epidemiologic, Clinical, and Genetic Characteristics of Human Infections with Influenza A(H5N6) Viruses, China. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 28(7).

6. Zou, S., Guo, W., Pu, S., Dong, L., Gao, R. (2013). Inactivation of the novel avian influenza A (H7N9) virus under physical conditions or chemical agents treatment. Virology Journal, 10, 289. [Citations ~300+]

7. Zhou, J., Wang, L., … Gao, R. (2013). Biological features of novel avian influenza A (H7N9) virus. Nature, 499, 500-503. [Citations ~1500+]