Dr. Zhao is a virologist, particularly in hepatitis B virus. She got her Ph.D from Peking Union Medical College and conducted her postdoctoral training in Dr. Ju-Tao Guo's lab in Baruch S. Blumberg Insititute. In 2022, she was promoted as an assistant professor in Baruch S. Blumberg institute. Her lab is focusing on the molecular details of HBV replicaiton and cccDNA formation, as well as involving in the development of anti-HBV gene therapy using a new generation of guide RNA, the chemically ligated guide RNA.