Her research interests are focused mainly on stem cell engineering and cardiovascular tissue engineering. She also develops synthetic and naturally derived nano-biomaterials for tissue engineering applications. Dr. Zhao’s research is currently supported by National Institutes of Health (NIH), National Science Foundation (NSF), and other funding agencies. Her research products have been highlighted by national and international news agencies, newspapers, and scientific publishers including ScienceDaily, RegMedNet, Stem Cells Freak, Kurzweil, Scicasts, Eurekalert, Genetic Literacy Project, The Peninsula, Latest Technology, and Iran Daily.