Kai Gao

Dr. Kai Gao is a Vice-Chancellor Postdoctoral Research Fellow at RMIT University, specialising in urban climate resilience, building physics, and sustainable design. With a PhD in Philosophy from the University of New South Wales (UNSW), a Master's in Physics (Research) from Shanghai Jiao Tong University (SJTU), and extensive postdoctoral experience at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK), Dr. Gao bridges fundamental scientific inquiry with practical applications to address pressing challenges in urban sustainability, extreme heat mitigation, and energy-efficient materials.

His research has significantly advanced urban heat mitigation strategies, including large-scale greening, reflective surfaces, and irrigation techniques. As a core contributor to the Riyadh urban heat adaptation project, Dr. Gao employed high-resolution Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) simulations to evaluate interventions like urban forestry and albedo enhancements, delivering evidence-based recommendations for arid-city planning. His work on tree-based cooling has refined mesoscale climate models by incorporating detailed plant physiology and field data, revealing limitations in traditional approaches and enhancing predictions for heatwave resilience.

Dr. Gao's expertise extends to radiative cooling materials, where he has optimised passive technologies through heat transfer, optical, and electromagnetic simulations. This has led to innovations in low-solar-absorption surfaces for building envelopes and infrastructure, reducing energy demands in hot climates. Dr Gao has extensive interdisciplinary projects targeting urban heat mitigation, climate resilience and climate adaptive design, spanning Australia, Hong Kong, and Saudi Arabia, including initiatives like "Increasing Resilience to Extreme Cold Weather for the Elderly"  and "Smart and Cool Places" (AUD 483K), focusing on climate-responsive design for vulnerable populations and high-density environments.

An active contributor to the field, Dr Gao serves as Associate Editor for E-prime (Elsevier) and is a member of the Architectural Physics Branch of the Architectural Society of China. His peer-reviewed publications in high-impact journals such as Sustainable Cities and Society, Nature Cities, and Building and Environment underscore his commitment to translating research into actionable solutions for global urban challenges.