Shuaihua Gao, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (2023-present)
Associate Member, Tulane Cancer Center (2025-present)
Tulane University, New Orleans, LA.
Education
B.S. Pharmaceutical Engineering, Beijing University of Chemical Technology (2009-2013)
Graduate Researcher, Biophysical Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, (2016-2018). Advisor: Judith P. Klinman.
Ph.D. Chemical Engineering and Technology, Beijing University of Chemical Technology (2013-2018). Advisor: Guojun Zheng
Postdoctoral Researcher, Biophysical Chemistry, University of California, Berkeley, (2018-2023). Advisor: Judith P. Klinman.
Email: sgao11@tulane.edu
Biosketch
Shuaihua Gao received her B.S. in Pharmaceutical Engineering (2009–2013) from Beijing University of Chemical Technology, where she conducted undergraduate research under the mentorship of Prof. Guojun Zheng. During this time, she investigated the application of γ-lactamases for the biosynthesis of anti-HIV therapeutics. Recognizing her exceptional research potential, she was competitively selected in her junior year for early admission into a Ph.D. program in Chemical Engineering.
She continued her training in Prof. Zheng’s group as a Ph.D. student in Chemical Engineering (2013–2016), where her research focused on protein engineering for pharmaceutical applications. Her work integrated microbial screening and genome mining to identify novel γ-lactamases for enantioselective synthesis of pharmaceutical intermediates. In parallel, she applied directed evolution, rational design, and computational modeling to optimize enzyme performance, and developed a high-throughput colorimetric screening platform for rapid enzyme identification and engineering.
In 2016, after completing her Ph.D., Dr. Gao moved to the United States to join the laboratory of Judith P. Klinman at University of California Berkeley as a visiting researcher. During this period (2016–2018), she shifted her focus from applied biocatalysis to fundamental enzymology, seeking to understand the physical principles underlying enzyme catalysis.
Recognizing her contributions and potential, she was subsequently recruited to continue in the Klinman lab as a postdoctoral researcher (2018–2023). During her postdoctoral work, she developed temperature-dependent hydrogen–deuterium exchange mass spectrometry (TD-HDX-MS), establishing a quantitative framework that links protein structural ensembles to catalytic efficiency and advances fundamental understanding of enzyme function.
Dr. Gao began her independent career in 2023 as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Tulane University. Her lab operates at the intersection of biology, chemistry, and engineering, using protein engineering to advance biocatalysis for applications in pharmaceuticals, chemical production, environmental sustainability, and biomedicine. In parallel, it applies quantitative biophysical approaches to define how proteins interact with other proteins and ligands, how their function is regulated, and how dysfunction leads to disease. By linking molecular-level understanding to functional design, the lab establishes principles for predicting and controlling protein function, enabling both next-generation biocatalysts and new strategies for disease intervention.