Cheng Cao is a researcher whose expertise in nanotechnology and small-angle scattering techniques has illuminated the intricate world of nanostructures. Cheng's academic journey commenced at the University of New South Wales (UNSW) and the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) in Australia, where they pursued his PhD. Following the successful completion of his doctoral studies, Cheng embarked on a postdoctoral position at the University of Oslo in Norway (2020-2021). During this time, Cheng's research journey took them to the Norwegian Resource Centre for X-rays and the prestigious European Synchrotron Radiation Facility (ESRF), where they delved deeper into the world of nanoscale materials. Currently, Cheng serves as a postdoctoral research associate at Stenzel's group at UNSW Sydney. Their research mission is to make the invisible nanostructures visible for the betterment of nanomedicine. They specialize in designing smart drug delivery nanoparticles by unravelling the internal structures of these tiny marvels. This groundbreaking work has the potential to revolutionize drug-loaded nanoparticles and enhance their precision and efficacy.

 As one of the chief investigators, They were granted a NSW Health grant in 2023 for the project "Enhancing Biocompatibility of Cardiovascular Devices." Over the past five years, their leadership as a chief investigator and co-proposer on small angle scattering has resulted in 11 awarded Australian Synchrotron proposals with a total equal grant value of AUD 360,000 for exploring the structure of drug delivery nanoparticles. These grants have facilitated research endeavours aimed at understanding the critical relationship between nanoparticle structures and their functions.

Cheng Cao's research outcomes are also reflected through their publication record, with more than 20 peer-reviewed papers gracing the pages of esteemed journals such as Angewandte Chemie, Chemistry of Materials, Nature Communications, Journal of the American Chemical Society (JACS), ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces, Biomacromolecules, and Nanoscale. Cheng is actively contributing to the community as a guest editor for the journal "Pharmaceutics" and is hosting the special issue " Protein-Based Nanoparticles: Promising Platforms for Drug Delivery.