Gao is the former director of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention and the former vice-chairman of the National Natural Science Foundation of China. He is an academician of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and a foreign academician of the National Academy of Sciences in the United States, the Royal Society in the United Kingdom, and the National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina in Germany. Currently, he serves as a researcher at the Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences. He pioneered the development of the world’s first clinically approved neutralizing antibody drug and the first approved recombinant protein subunit vaccine for COVID-19.

Gao is renowned for his contributions in the field of infectious diseases. His research focuses on various aspects including the cross-species transmission of pathogenic microorganisms, infection mechanisms, host cell immunity, antiviral strategies, as well as public health policies and global health strategies. He has made great contributions to the prevention and control of emerging infectious diseases.

He has received several honors and awards, including TWAS Basic Medical Sciences Award and Lecture Award; Nikkei Asia Prize in Japan; The Gamaleya Medal in Russia; The Outstanding Chinese Scholar Award from the University of Hong Kong on its Centenary; The Collective Award for Outstanding Scientific and Technological Achievements by the magazine Qiushi.