博士生导师，中国科学技术大学教授，国家创新人才项目入选者。本科毕业于中国科学技术大学，博士毕业于美国西南医学中心。 2016-2019年在美国洛克菲勒大学任博士后。致力于核酸感知通路的天然免疫应答调控机制研究，开发基于核酸免疫识别的抗病毒及肿瘤免疫治疗新策略，研究成果发表于Science, Science Immunology, JEM, Nature Medicine，JCI，PNAS等期刊上，论文被引用2500余次。承担国家自然科学基金委课题，中科院先导项目和科技部重点研发计划。

代表论文

1.   R. Zhao, J. Zhang, J. Ma, Y. Qu, Z. Yang, Z. Yin, F. Li, Z. Dong, Q. Sun, S. Zhu, Z. J. Chen, D. Gao, cGAS-activated endothelial cell-T cell cross-talk initiates tertiary lymphoid structure formation. Sci Immunol 9, eadk2612 (2024).

2.   S. Ru, S. Tang, H. Xu, J. Yin, Y. Guo, L. Song, Z. Jin, D. Lee, Y.-H. Chan, X. Chen, L. Buerer, W. Fairbrother, W. Jia, J.-L. Casanova, S.-Y. Zhang, D. Gao, Human DBR1 deficiency impairs stress granule-dependent PKR antiviral immunity. J Exp Med 222, e20240010 (2025).

3.   Z. Jiang, F. Shi, J. Li, R. Liu, J. Zhou, Z. Zhong, C. Shi, M. Ma, S. Xiang, D. Gao, Crucial role of the cGAS N terminus in mediating flowable and functional cGAS-DNA condensate formation via DNA interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 122, e2411659122 (2025).

4.   Y. Qu, Z. Li, J. Yin, H. Huang, J. Ma, Z. Jiang, Q. Zhou, Y. Tang, Y. Li, M. Huang, Z. Zeng, A. Guo, F. Fang, Y. Shen, R. Zhao, Y. Wang, D. Gao, cGAS mRNA-based Immune Agonist Promotes Vaccine Responses and Antitumor Immunity. Cancer Immunol Res, doi: 10.1158/2326-6066.CIR-24-0804 (2025).

5.   D. Ma, A. Xie, J. Lv, X. Min, X. Zhang, Q. Zhou, D. Gao, E. Wang, L. Gao, L. Cheng, S. Liu, Engineered extracellular vesicles enable high-efficient delivery of intracellular therapeutic proteins. Protein Cell, pwae015 (2024).

6.   Y.-H. Chan, V. Lundberg, J. Le Pen, J. Yuan, D. Lee, F. Pinci, S. Volpi, K. Nakajima, V. Bondet, S. Åkesson, N. V. Khobrekar, A. Bodansky, L. Du, T. Melander, A.-A. Mariaggi, Y. Seeleuthner, T. S. Saleh, D. Chakravarty, P. Marits, K. Dobbs, S. Vonlanthen, V. Hennings, K. Thörn, D. Rinchai, L. Bizien, M. Chaldebas, A. Sobh, T. Özçelik, S. Keles, S. A. AlKhater, C. Prando, I. Meyts, COVID Human Genetic Effort, M. R. Wilson, J. Rosain, E. Jouanguy, M. Aubart, L. Abel, T. H. Mogensen, Q. Pan-Hammarström, D. Gao, D. Duffy, A. Cobat, S. Berg, L. D. Notarangelo, O. Harschnitz, C. M. Rice, L. Studer, J.-L. Casanova, O. Ekwall, S.-Y. Zhang, SARS-CoV-2 brainstem encephalitis in human inherited DBR1 deficiency. J Exp Med 221, e20231725 (2024).

7.   D. Gao, M. J. Ciancanelli, P. Zhang, O. Harschnitz, V. Bondet, M. Hasek, J. Chen, X. Mu, Y. Itan, A. Cobat, V. Sancho-Shimizu, B. Bigio, L. Lorenzo, G. Ciceri, J. McAlpine, E. Anguiano, E. Jouanguy, D. Chaussabel, I. Meyts, M. S. Diamond, L. Abel, S. Hur, G. A. Smith, L. Notarangelo, D. Duffy, L. Studer, J.-L. Casanova, S.-Y. Zhang, TLR3 controls constitutive IFN-β antiviral immunity in human fibroblasts and cortical neurons. Journal of Clinical Investigation 131 (2021).

8.   F. G. Lafaille, O. Harschnitz, Y. S. Lee, P. Zhang, M. L. Hasek, G. Kerner, Y. Itan, O. Ewaleifoh, F. Rapaport, T. M. Carlile, M. E. Carter-Timofte, D. Paquet, K. Dobbs, B. Zimmer, D. Gao, M. F. Rojas-Duran, D. Kwart, V. Rattina, M. J. Ciancanelli, J. L. McAlpine, L. Lorenzo, S. Boucherit, F. Rozenberg, R. Halwani, B. Henry, N. Amenzoui, Z. Alsum, L. Marques, J. A. Church, S. Al-Muhsen, M. Tardieu, A. A. Bousfiha, S. R. Paludan, T. H. Mogensen, L. Quintana-Murci, M. Tessier-Lavigne, G. A. Smith, L. D. Notarangelo, L. Studer, W. Gilbert, L. Abel, J. L. Casanova, S. Y. Zhang, Human SNORA31 variations impair cortical neuron-intrinsic immunity to HSV-1 and underlie herpes simplex encephalitis. Nature Medicine 25, 1873–1884 (2019).

9.   D. Gao, T. Li, X.-D. Li, X. Chen, Q.-Z. Li, M. Wight-Carter, Z. J. Chen, Activation of cyclic GMP-AMP synthase by self-DNA causes autoimmune diseases. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 112, E5699–E5705 (2015).

10.  D. Gao, J. Wu, Y. T. Wu, F. Du, C. Aroh, N. Yan, L. Sun, Z. J. Chen, Cyclic GMP-AMP synthase is an innate immune sensor of HIV and other retroviruses. Science (New York, N.Y.) 341, 903–906 (2013).

11.  X. D. Li, J. Wu, D. Gao, H. Wang, L. Sun, Z. J. Chen, Pivotal roles of cGAS-cGAMP signaling in antiviral defense and immune adjuvant effects. Science 341, 1390–1394 (2013).