Caroline Cao

Caroline Cao is a Professor of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Director of Applied Health Technology Initiatives. She holds adjunct or visiting appointments at IMT Atlantique, University of South Australia, and Max-Planck-Institute for Intelligent Systems. Previously she was Professor and Chair for Industry of the Future at IMT Atlantique (2021-2023) and Professor at Wright State University (2012-2022).

Education

• BS, Biochemistry (major), Kinesiology (minor), Simon Fraser University, 1991
• Post-Bac Diploma, Occupational Science, Simon Fraser University, 1994
• MS, Kinesiology (motor control), Simon Fraser University, 1996
• Certificate, Strategic Management of Telecommunications, Helsinki University of Technology, 1999
• Certificate, Strategic Management of Technology in a Global Environment, Politecnico di Milano, 1999
• PhD, Mechanical & Industrial Engineering, University of Toronto, 2002

Research Focus

Caroline Cao’s research integrates human factors engineering with medical technology innovation. Her work spans XR simulation for surgical training and empathy development, haptic feedback systems for remote manipulation, shape-sensing fiber-optic technologies for navigation in non-rigid environments, and digital-twin architectures for healthcare and Industry 5.0. She applies these technologies to improve safety, performance, and outcomes in minimally invasive surgery and other high-risk domains.

Publication Trends

Across more than 240 refereed works, a clear trajectory emerges: early studies dissect laparoscopic skill acquisition and operating-room human factors; mid-career work introduces advanced VR simulators (VBLaST, VTEST, DynaMITE) and haptic augmentation; recent outputs pivot toward AI-driven virtual coaches, empathy training in XR, and fatigue-aware human-robot collaboration in next-generation industrial systems.

Scientific Awards & Honors

• Fellow, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering (AIMBE) – 2025
• Fellow, International Ergonomics Association (IEA) – 2024
• Fellow, Human Factors and Ergonomics Society (HFES) – 2018
• US Fulbright Scholar – 2016-2017
• Ohio Research Scholar (endowed) – 2012-2015
• NSF CAREER Award – 2003

Advising, Grants & Labs

She has mentored 36 graduate students and 27 postdocs/research associates, directed 5 honors theses, and supervised 43 additional research projects. External funding includes $330 k Ohio Imaging Research & Innovation Network, $515 k+ in start-up fundraising, and €460 k in French industry contracts. She directs the Ergonomics in Remote Environments Laboratory (EREL) and the Jump Simulation Center Urbana, and is Founder/CEO of Endo Guidance Technologies LLC.

Leadership & Service

At HFES she serves as President-Elect (2024-25), President (2025-26), and Past-President (2026-27). She is Associate Editor for Human Factors and Advances in Human-Computer Interaction, and has chaired multiple conference technical programs.