After receiving her Ph.D. in Chemistry, with a specialization in protein biochemistry, Dr. Zhao spent two years on her post-doctoral research at the University of Maryland, where she worked on the study of protein-DNA and protein-protein interactions.  Dr. Zhao joined the NIBIB as a Research Fellow in 2008.  She has been working in the intramural research’s Laboratory of Cellular Imaging and Macromolecular Biophysics, Dynamics of Macromolecular Assembly Section on development of biophysical methodology for characterizing a variety of macromolecules, including proteins, nucleic acids, polymers and nanoparticles.  Her current work has focused on applications of advanced techniques of biophysics and physical biochemistry, including sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium analytical ultracentrifugation, isothermal titration calorimetry, fluorescence spectroscopy and surface plasmon resonance biosensing.  Dr Zhao’s interests are in adapting these methods and further developing new biophysical approaches as necessary for the study of a variety of systems of interacting macromolecules.