Xiao-Fan Zhao is engaged in the research of insect physiology, biochemistry, and molecular biology, focusing on the functional genes and molecular regulation mechanisms of molting and metamorphosis during insect development. Xiao-Fan Zhao proposed a model of the cell membrane signal transduction pathway of insect ecdysone based on a series of studies, which opened up a new direction for the study of the insect ecdysone signal pathway and provided a theoretical basis for the development of growth regulator green pesticides to control pests and target genes.