Zhao obtained his Bachelor’s degree in Clinical Medicine from Southeast University in 2006, and a Doctoral degree from the School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering at Southeast University in 2011. During his Ph.D. study, he had the opportunity to conduct research in the laboratory of Professor David A. Weitz at Harvard University from 2009 to 2010. After graduating, he joined the School of Biological Science & Medical Engineering at Southeast University, and was appointed as a full professor later.

Zhao was selected into the “New Century Talent Support Program” of the Ministry of education and the “Six Talent Peaks Project” of Jiangsu Province in 2013. In 2014, he was awarded the “Jiangsu Science Fund for Distinguished Young Scholars.” In 2015, Zhao won the “National Excellent Youth Fund” and “Young Chemistry Award of China Chemical Society.” In 2016, he was selected as “333 High Level Talents Training Project in Jiangsu Province.” In 2017, he was selected as “Chinese New and Cutting-edge Scientific and Technological Figures.” In 2018, he was selected for the Young and Middle-aged Leading Talents in Science and Technology of the Ministry of Science and Technology and the Fellow of Royal Society of Chemistry (RSC). In 2019, he was selected as the national “Ten thousand Talents Program” Scientific and Technological Innovation Leader. In 2020, he was supported by the National Key Research and Development Program of China. In 2021, he won the Chinese Chemical Society-Evonik Chemical Innovation Award. In 2022, he was awarded as Distinguished Young Scholar by the NSFC, and won the China Youth Science and Technology Award.

Currently, his primary research interests focus on biomaterials and tissue engineering, bionic organ chip, microfluidic, etc. He has published more than 400 SCI papers. Among these publications, more than 300 have been featured in internationally authoritative journals with impact factors greater than 10. The cumulative impact factor of his papers exceeds 5,600, and they have been cited over 18,700 times, leading to an H-index of 72. More than 20 papers are published on CNS journals and PNAs papers. He also holds 200 patents, with 70 of them authorized and 2 successfully transferred for practical applications.