She received a B.S. degree in chemistry from Jilin University, China in 1999. She received M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in Analytical Chemistry from Texas Tech University in 2003 and 2006, respectively. She has published many articles in both micro-scale bioseparations and fuel cells. Her current research focuses on the investigation of green energy, energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions of alternative fuels, and fuel cell catalysts. Dr. Gao has reviewed original manuscripts from other scientists for a number of journals.