Dr Gao has dual qualifications in both Medicine (Bachelor in Medicine, 2008 and Master in Medicine, 2010) and health economics (PhD in Pharmacy (Pharmacoeconomics), 2015). She was a medical doctor by training and is an experienced health economist. She is rapidly building up a portfolio in the health economics focused on cardiovascular diseases (CVD). She has been responsible for the economic evaluation of a diverse range of health interventions targeted at CVD treatment, and primary and secondary preventions, which were informative for policy decision-makings at various levels. She was/is the leading investigator of three successful grants (examining the questions related to the health economics of CVD prevention/treatment interventions) in collaboration with neurologists, cardiologists, and cardiac anaesthesiologists from key tertiary hospitals.