معرفی
Dr. Qi Cao is an Associate Professor and Principal Research Fellow at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Westmead Clinical School, The University of Sydney. He leads the Renal Inflammation and Immunology Group and has established himself as a prominent researcher in kidney disease and immunotherapy.
Dr. Cao received his PhD through the University of Sydney in Professor David Harris' Renal Failure Laboratory at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research. His academic journey reflects a deep commitment to understanding renal pathophysiology and developing novel therapeutic approaches.
Dr. Cao's research focuses on chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, macrophage and dendritic cell therapy, innate lymphoid cell biology, and diabetes and islet transplantation. His work bridges immunology and nephrology, with particular emphasis on how immune cells can be harnessed for therapeutic purposes in kidney diseases. His laboratory investigates the role of regulatory macrophages and their therapeutic potential, as well as the function of innate lymphoid cells in renal pathophysiology.
His recent publications reveal a strong trend toward translational research, with emphasis on developing novel therapeutic approaches targeting immune cells in kidney disease. His work spans fundamental immunology of kidney disease to the development of biomaterials for therapeutic delivery in diabetic complications and kidney injury. A significant portion of his research focuses on dendritic cells, macrophages, and innate lymphoid cells as both contributors to and potential treatments for kidney disease.
- 2016 Westmead Institute for Medical Research Science Award
- 2016 ANZSN Travel Grant
- 2015 Westmead Institute for Medical Research Science Award
- 2015 ANZSN Travel Grant
- 2015 Westmead Association Research Travel Grant
- 2014 ANZSN Travel Grant
- 2013 Westmead Association Research Travel Grant
- 2012 Kidney Health Australia Postgraduate Scholarship
- 2010 Westmead Millennium Institute Science Award
- 2010 Young Investigator Award of The ANZSN Congress
- 2007 Outstanding graduates of Shanghai Jiaotong University
Dr. Cao serves as an advisor to research students including Jianwei CHEN, who is working on "Harnessing regulatory immune cells in kidney disease." His research is highly regarded and well-funded, with notable grants including a 2021 NHMRC Investigator Grant for "Developing novel therapeutic approaches by using innate lymphoid cells in chronic kidney disease" and multiple NHMRC Project Grants in 2017 for research on innate lymphoid cells and kidney CD103+ dendritic cells.
As leader of the Renal Inflammation and Immunology Group at the Westmead Institute for Medical Research, Dr. Cao oversees a dynamic research team focused on understanding the immunological mechanisms underlying kidney disease and developing novel therapeutic approaches based on immune cell modulation.