Wei Chao

Wei Chao, MD, PhD, is a Professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine with primary appointments in Anesthesiology and secondary appointments in Physiology. He serves as Vice Chair for Translational Research and Co-Director of the STAR Center.

• MD from Hunan Medical College, China
• PhD in Biochemistry, University of Texas
• Postdoc at University of California, San Diego

Dr. Chao's research spans sepsis, trauma, and ischemic myocardial injury, focusing on innate immunity, microRNA, and bioinformatics. His work integrates mouse genetics, physiology, and machine learning to identify biomarkers and therapeutic targets.

Recent publications highlight his team's discoveries in extracellular RNA sensing, TLR7 signaling, and coagulopathy in critical illnesses. His 15 most recent articles address topics like sepsis-induced organ injury, miRNA-based diagnostics, and inflammation mechanisms.

Dr. Chao has received prestigious awards including the R35 Maximizing Investigators’ Research Award (NIGMS, 2021), Frontiers in Anesthesia Research Award (IARS, 2018-2021), and Colin Mackenzie & Cristina Imle Mentoring Prize (2021). He has been continuously funded by NIH for over 20 years, DoD since 2017, and holds grants from the Air Force and National Science Foundation.