Long Zhao, M.D., Ph.D., is a postdoctoral research fellow in the Department of Pharmaceutics at the Virginia Commonwealth University School of Pharmacy. Zhao holds dual doctoral degrees in ophthalmology—an M.D. from Peking University and a Ph.D. in traditional Chinese medicine (ophthalmology) from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine. He completed postdoctoral training at the Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, where he focused on retinal ischemia-reperfusion injury and neuroprotection.

With more than 26 years of clinical and surgical experience, Zhao has performed more than 10,000 pediatric and adult strabismus surgeries. As the only ophthalmologist worldwide with dual doctorates in both western and traditional Chinese medicine, he has pioneered an integrative approach to treating complex ocular diseases. His research is centered on novel drug delivery systems for ophthalmic disorders, nanomedicine-based therapies and controlled-release formulations for sustained drug delivery in eye diseases.

Zhao is actively engaged in translational medical research, bridging clinical expertise with pharmaceutical innovation. He has contributed to multiple NIH-funded projects and has published extensively in high-impact journals. He has received prestigious recognitions, including the Good Doctor of the Year Award (China, 2021) and the Compassionate Doctor Award (2020).

Zhao’s research focuses on developing innovative drug delivery systems for treating ophthalmic and systemic diseases. His work includes:

• Engineering nanomedicine-based therapies for corneal injuries, retinal disorders and neuroprotection
• Studying biological barriers and drug permeation strategies for ophthalmic drug delivery
• Investigating controlled-release formulations for sustained therapeutic effects in eye diseases
• Exploring nanoparticle-based drug delivery for opioid use disorder and neuroinflammation

His goal is to translate pharmaceutical innovations into effective treatments that improve vision and overall health.

• Ph.D. (Ophthalmology), Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 2010-13
• M.D. (Ophthalmology), Peking University, 2011-13
• M.M. (Ophthalmology), Peking University, 2005-08
• B.M. (Clinical Medicine), Capital Medical University, 1994-99

Postgraduate Training

• Postdoctoral Fellow (Ophthalmology), Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 2015–17
• Postdoctoral Fellow (Pharmaceutics), School of Pharmacy, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2023–present

• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Department of Pharmaceutics, School of Pharmacy, VCU (2023–Present)
• Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Wilmer Eye Institute, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine (2015–2017)
• Chief Physician (Pediatric Ophthalmology), Health Apple Children Hospital, Beijing, China (2021–2023)
• Deputy Chief Physician, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China (2015–2021)
• Attending Physician, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China (2006–2015)
• Resident Physician, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing, China (1999–2006)