Chen Cao is a Professor in the Mining Engineering Department at Liaoning Technical University, China. He completed his Ph.D. in Mining Engineering at the University of Wollongong, Australia. His research areas include soft rock mechanics, anchorage mechanics, and rockburst prevention, and his research has been funded by the Australian Coal Association and the National Natural Science Foundation of China. He has published nearly 100 papers in various journals. He serves as a member of the Soft Rock Mechanics Committee of ISRM and an editorial board member of the International Journal of Mining Science & Technology.