Professor Gao has a background in [[applied mechanics]] and [[engineering science]]. His research interests span over [[Solid Mechanics]], [[Nanomechanics]] and [[Biomechanics]]. He works on mechanics of thin films and hierarchically structured materials, mechanics of biological and bio-inspired materials, mechanics of nanostructured and nanotwinned materials, mechanics of cell adhesion, mechanics of cell-nanomaterials interactions, mechanics of energy storage systems, and mechanics of metallic glasses.
==Awards==
Professor Gao is the recipient of numerousreceived academic honors,fromincluding a John Simon [[Guggenheim Fellowship]] in 1995 to recent honors includingand the [[Humboldt Prize]] from Germany and Rodney Hill Prize in Solid Mechanics from the [[International Union of Theoretical and Applied Mechanics]] (IUTAM) in 2012.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.elsevier.com/physical-sciences/engineering-and-technology/the-rodney-hill-prize-in-solid-mechanics-professor-huajian-gao |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2013-11-03 |deadurl=yes |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131104082232/http://www.elsevier.com/physical-sciences/engineering-and-technology/the-rodney-hill-prize-in-solid-mechanics-professor-huajian-gao |archivedate=2013-11-04 |df= }}</ref> He was elected to the [[National Academy of Engineering]] in 2012, to the [[Chinese Academy of Sciences]] (as a foreign academician) in 2015<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.cas.cn/tz/201512/t20151207_4488383.shtml|title=关于公布2015年中国科学院院士增选当选院士名单的公告|website=Cas.cn|accessdate=19 August 2017}}</ref>, and the [[National Academy of Sciences]] in 2018.
