Yanguang Cao

Dr. Yanguang (Carter) Cao is an Associate Professor in the Division of Pharmacotherapy and Experimental Therapeutics at the Eshelman School of Pharmacy, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. He holds a B.S. and Ph.D. in Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences from China Pharmaceutical University, followed by postdoctoral training at SUNY Buffalo. His research focuses on Quantitative Systems Pharmacology (QSP), integrating computational modeling with molecular imaging to study antibody-based therapies, tumor evolution, and immunotherapy mechanisms.

Education: B.S. Pharmacology (China Pharmaceutical U), Ph.D. Pharmaceutical Sciences (China Pharmaceutical U), Postdoctoral Fellowship (SUNY Buffalo). Research interests include antibody pharmacology, tumor resistance, and systems biology. His lab develops models to deconvolute interactions between antibodies, immune systems, and tumors, funded by NIH and FDA grants.

Scientific Awards: Received the R35 Outstanding Investigator Grant (NIGMS) to advance antibody therapy optimization. Advises students such as Zoey Tang and Jiawei Zhou. Collaborates with clinicians, regulatory agencies, and pharmaceutical industry partners.

Lab Activities: The Cao Lab explores antibody PK/PD, molecular imaging approaches, and spatial/temporal harmonization of immune systems with therapies. Current projects include modeling tumor evolutionary dynamics and improving immunotherapy efficacy against resistant cancers.