Dr. Dayong Gao is the ORIGINCELL Endowed Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Adjunct Professor in the Department of Bioengineering, and Director of the Center for Cryo-Biomedical Engineering and Artificial Organs at the University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA (2004-present). Prior to joining the University of Washington, Dr. Gao was the Baxter Healthcare Endowed Chair of Engineering and the Alumni Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering and the Center for Biomedical Engineering at the University of Kentucky, Lexington, KY, USA (1998-2004). Over the past 30 years, Dayong Gao has made original contributions with outstanding achievements in: (1) low-temperature biomedical engineering and cryobiology: (a) investigating biophysical mechanisms of both cryoinjury and cryoprotection, which determine the life-or-death of biomaterials in bio-preservation and cryosurgery; and (b) developing novel technology and instruments for long-term cryopreservation of living cells and tissues with innovative applications in gene-cellular therapy, regenerative medicine, stem-cells/organ transplantation, treatments for cancer-diabetes-cardiovascular diseases, tissue engineering, vaccine/drug development, disease screening, in-vitro fertilization, and conservation of endangered species, etc.; (2) artificial organs (artificial kidney-liver system) for the life-saving treatment of end-stage multi-organ-failure diseases; and (3) bio-instruments and biosensors for clinical diagnostics. Dr. Gao has published over 500 peer-reviewed research papers, numerous patents, chapters in over 20 academic books. Invited as a plenary or keynote speaker, he has delivered over 200 scientific meeting presentations worldwide. Dr. Gao is a recipient of numerous national or international honors and awards, including the Fellow of the International Academy of Medical and Biological Engineering, Fellow of the American Institute of Medical and Biological Engineering, Member of the Washington State Academy of Sciences, Fellow of American Society of Mechanical Engineers, Fellow of International Society for Cryobiology with the Basil Luyet Medal, American Heart Association Award, American Cancer Society Award, Asian American Engineer of the Year 2013 Award, Bill-Melinda Gates Foundation Global Health Research Award, Whitaker Foundation Young Investigator Award, Washington Foundation Innovation Award, and International Society for Biological and Environmental Repositories Special Service Award, etc. In 2019, the International Society for Cryobiology established the Dayong Gao Young Investigator Award in Dr. Gao’s honor to recognize each year’s most outstanding young cryobiologist and cryo-biomedical engineer in the world.