国家级海外青年人才计划入选者。2013年获中山大学博士学位，随后在瑞士苏黎世大学和加拿大阿尔伯塔大学从事博士后研究。2022年受邀加入比利时Ziphius生物制药公司，担任高级科学家兼自复制mRNA项目负责人，促进了该公司在mRNA疫苗领域的发展。 2024年加入中国科学院杭州医学研究所。专注于核酸的化学修饰、物理折叠与生物功能的关系。研究方向包括RNA折叠、转录后修饰及其与蛋白质的相互作用，以及mRNA疫苗设计。研究成果以第一作者身份发表在《Nature Chemical Biology》、《Nature Communications》和《Nucleic Acids Research》等知名学术期刊上，并同时被《Nature》和《Science》评为“研究亮点”，以“主编专栏”形式推广。编写Springer出版社专著《RNA Chaperones: Methods and Protocols》一章。荣获2022年度“李嘉诚病毒研究所”（加拿大）研究影响力奖。

2004.09 – 2008.06 中国 中山大学 材料化学 理学学士

2008.09 – 2013.06 中国 中山大学 化学生物学 理学博士

自复制mRNA；RNA单分子生物物理

1. 病毒RNA折叠与功能-国家自然科学基金优秀青年科学基金项目（海外）

2. 核酸类生物元件的设计与应用 - 国家任务 - 国家重点研发计划项目 

3. 浙江省领军型创新创业团队 - 核酸药物智能设计创新团队

1. Daniiar Zhaguparov, Meng Zhao, Rohith Vedhthaanth Sekar, Michael T. Woodside,  Identifying the interactions conferring functional mechanical rigidity on RNase-resistant RNA from Zika virus, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 2025, 122, e2417234122

2. Meng Zhao, Michael T. Woodside, Mechanical strength of RNA knot in Zika virus protects against cellular defenses. Nature Chemical Biology, 2021, 17, 975-981. 

This work has been highlighted in various journals and across social media platforms, as detailed below: 

Nature, 2021, 595, 474: Tied in knots: Zika virus tangles are the most stable RNA known. 

Science, 2021, 373, 638: RNA knots provide resistance. 

Nat. Chem. Biol. 2021, 17, 933-934: Untying knots with force. 

Sci. Transl. Med. DOI: 10.1126/scitranslmed.abl8161: Viral Knots. 

Phys.Org https://phys.org/news/2021-07-biophysicists-mechanism-zika-virus-dangerous.html 

Mirage News https://www.miragenews.com/biophysicists-target-mechanism-that-makes-zika-596326/ 

UofA Folio https://www.ualberta.ca/folio/2021/07/biophysicists-target-mechanism-that-makes-zika-virus-so-dangerous.html 

3. Krishna Neupane*, Meng Zhao*, Aaron Lyons, Sneha Munshi, Sandaru M. Ileperuma, Dustin B. Ritchie, Noel Q. Hoffer, Abhishek Narayan, Michael T. Woodside, Structural dynamics of single SARS-CoV-2 pseudoknot molecules reveal topologically distinct conformers. Nature Communications, 2021, 12, 4749.

4. Sara I. Omar, Meng Zhao, Rohith V. Sekar, Sahar A. Moghadam, Jack A. Tuszynski, Michael T. Woodside, Modeling the structure of the frameshift-stimulatory pseudoknot in SARS-CoV-2 reveals multiple possible conformers, PLoS Computational Biology, 2021, 17, e1008603.

5. Meng Zhao, Richard Börner, Roland K. O. Sigel, Eva Freisinger, Site-specific dual-color labeling of long RNAs, RNA Chaperones: Methods and Protocols, Springer US, 2020, 253-270 (book chapter). 

6. Meng Zhao, Fabio D. Steffen, Richard Börner, Michelle F. Schaffer, Roland K O Sigel, Eva Freisinger, Site-specific dual-color labeling of long RNAs for single-molecule spectroscopy, Nucleic Acids Research, 2018, 46, e13.

7. Meng Zhao, Haibo Wang, Liang-Nian Ji, Zong-Wan Mao, Insights into metalloenzyme microenvironments: biomimetic metal complexes with a functional second coordination sphere, Chemical Society Reviews, 2013, 42, 8360-8375. 

8. Meng Zhao, Han-Lu Wang, Li Zhang, Cong Zhao, Liang-Nian Ji, Zong-Wan Mao, Unexpected phosphodiesterase activity at low pH of a dinuclear copper–β-cyclodextrin complex, Chemical communications, 2011, 47, 7344-7346. 

9. Meng Zhao, Li Zhang, Huo-Yan Chen, Han-Lu Wang, Liang-Nian Ji, Zong-Wan Mao, Effect of hydrophobic interaction cooperating with double Lewis acid activation in a zinc (II) phosphodiesterase mimic, Chemical communications, 2011, 47, 7344-7346. 

10. Meng Zhao, Cong Zhao, Xue-Qin Jiang, Liang-Nian Ji, Zong-Wan Mao, Rapid hydrolysis of phosphate ester promoted by Ce (IV) conjugating with a β-cyclodextrin monomer and dimer. Dalton Transactions, 2012, 41, 4469-4476. 

11.Meng Zhao, Shan-Shan Xue, Xue-Qin Jiang, Limin Zheng, Liang-Nian Ji, Zong-Wan Mao, Phosphate ester hydrolysis catalyzed by a dinuclear cobalt (II) complex equipped with intramolecular β-cyclodextrins. Journal of Molecular Catalysis A: Chemical, 2015, 396, 346-352.

1. Meng Zhao, MODIFIED 5'UTRs, WO 2025/088152 A1, 2023-10-27 

2. Li Ka Shing Institute of Virology (Canada) Research Impact Award (2022). 2022年度“李嘉诚病毒研究所”（加拿大）研究影响力奖。