Xiaoyu Gao, Ph.D.

Education

• Ph.D., Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 2019
• M.S., Carnegie Mellon University, Pittsburgh, PA, 2016
• B.S., Nanjing University, China, 2014

Appointment

• Postdoctoral Researcher, McGill University, 2019-2024

Editorial Contributions

• Associate Editor, Frontiers in Nanotechnology

Selected publications

1. Henkel, C., Hüffer, T., Peng, R., Gao, X., Ghoshal, S. and Hofmann, T., 2024. Photoaging enhances the leaching of di (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate and transformation products from polyvinyl chloride microplastics into aquatic environments. Communications Chemistry, 7(1), p.218.
2. Gao, X., Kundu, A., Persson, D.P., Szameitat A., Minutello, F., Husted, S. and Ghoshal, S., 2023. Application of ZnO encapsulated in mesoporous silica nanocarrier on the abaxial side of a Solanum lycopersicum leaf enhances Zn uptake and translocation via the phloem. Environmental Science & Technology, 57(51), pp.21704–21714
3. Gao, X., Kundu, A., Bueno, V., Rahim, A.A. and Ghoshal, S., 2021. Uptake and Translocation of Mesoporous SiO2-Coated ZnO Nanoparticles to Solanum lycopersicum Following Foliar Application. Environmental Science & Technology, 55(20), pp.13551-13560.
4. Gilbertson, L.M., Pourzahedi, L., Laughton, S., Gao, X., Zimmerman, J.B., Theis, T.L., Westerhoff, P. and Lowry, G.V., 2020. Guiding the design space for nanotechnology to advance sustainable crop production. Nature Nanotechnology, 15(9), pp.801-810.
5. Gao, X., Rodrigues, S., Spielman-Sun, E., Lopez, S., Rodrigues, S., Zhang, Y., Avellan, A., Duarte, R.; Duarte, A., Casman, E., Lowry, G.V. ,2019. Effect of moisture content, soil organic matter, and soil pore water pH on solubility and dissolution rate of CuO NPs in soil. Environmental Science & Technology, 53(9), pp.4959-4967.

Academic Interests and Research

Dr. Xiaoyu Gao's primary research focuses on using Nanotechnology to resolve global sustainable development challenges. His work involves designing advanced functional nanomaterials for soil remediation & sustainable agriculture,  investigating the fate and transport of emerging contaminants, including nanomaterials, nano/microplastics, and PFAS in the aquatic and terrestrial systems, and heal risk assessment of these emerging contaminants. Dr.Gao's research has been published in peer-reviewed journals such as Environmental Science & Technology, Nature Nanotechnology and etc. To learn more about Dr. Gao's research and publication, check out his website (LENSES-The Gao Lab (google.com)) or Google Scholar page (‪Xiaoyu Gao - ‪Google Scholar). 

Openings

We currently have openings for PhD students from the Fall 2025 semester. Undergraduate students at Baylor University majoring in Environmental Science, Chemistry, or Biology can contact Dr. Gao for independent research projects. More information can be found here: https://sites.google.com/view/thegaolab/join-our-team