Dr. Chen Cao is a senior researcher at the National Institute for Viral Disease Control and Prevention, Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). His research focuses on the molecular pathogenesis, surveillance, and control of viral and prion diseases, integrating laboratory science with national public-health systems. He has led multiple national-level programs on prion disease mechanisms, SARS-CoV-2 and respiratory virus genomic surveillance, and AI-assisted pathogen monitoring. His work has elucidated the roles of innate immunity and inflammatory pathways in prion-induced neurodegeneration and advanced ultrasensitive diagnostic assays such as RT-QuIC and PMCA. Dr. Cao has authored over 100 peer-reviewed papers in international journals and serves on editorial boards and scientific committees in virology and preventive medicine. His current interests include prion biology, protein misfolding, neuroinflammation, and multi-pathogen early-warning systems linking basic research with translational public-health applications.