Professor Cao brings impeccable academic credentials and an extensive professional network to the faculty. Prior to her appointment as dean in August, she was a professor of health innovation at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champlain, whose Grainger College of Engineering is ranked fifth in undergraduate programs and seventh in graduate programs among its peers in the US.
At that institution, Professor Cao served in the Department of Industrial and Enterprise Systems Engineering and was Director of Engineering Innovation and Medical Simulation.
An emphasis on interdisciplinary solutions and collaboration
Professor Cao has established world-renowned research programs at the intersection of engineering, health care and human factors, and is internationally recognized for leading significant academic-private sector collaborations in Europe and the United States, notably at IMT Atlantique University in Brest, France, as well as Tufts University and Wright State University in the US.
“Interdisciplinary solutions are key to tackling the challenges we face as a society,” she says. “Long gone are the days when researchers worked individually or within a single discipline.”
Professor Cao also brings extensive experience in the design and development of medical systems and devices, including minimally invasive and robotic surgery that feature “facilitating technologies” such as augmented and virtual realities, simulation and training, decision support, sensory substitution, navigation assistance and robotics.
Accelerating innovation and entrepreneurship
Professor Cao was thrilled to join a Canadian university with a strong culture of entrepreneurship and knowledge mobilization, and one of the top five universities in the country for research intensity. She lauded its emphasis on experiential learning and says its achievements in AI, photonics, quantum and semiconductors will contribute meaningfully to Canada’s sovereignty and prosperity.
In addition to welcoming a recognized leader in interdisciplinary research, particularly in health innovation, the University of Ottawa was delighted by Professor Cao’s leadership experience, which includes directing interdisciplinary academic programs, leading a medical research and development centre, and being a founder and CEO of a medical device company.
“Interdisciplinary solutions are key to tackling the challenges we face as a society. Long gone are the days when researchers worked individually or within a single discipline.”
Dr. Caroline Cao
— Dean, Faculty of Engineering
As dean, Cao intends to expand the Faculty of Engineering’s reach through her own professional network of interdisciplinary researchers in Germany, France, Australia and Vietnam, where she was a Fulbright scholar.
“Building networks with researchers in other disciplines is in my DNA,” she says.
In addition to positioning the University of Ottawa at the heart of global research networks, she is also working to establish multidisciplinary centres of excellence across campus, notably through collaborations with the faculties of Medicine, Science, Arts, Social Sciences and Health Sciences.
Dean Cao also wants to increase investment in applied research that can have a societal impact and can be quickly commercialized, something she says European universities excel at.
uOttawa stepping up recruitment of top US academic talent
International competition to attract the best talent is intensifying, particularly in highly competitive fields such as AI and engineering. In the US, attacks on academic freedom and budget cuts to granting organizations have left researchers fearful, frustrated and looking elsewhere to continue their careers. A poll conducted in March 2025 by the journal Nature showed that 75% of its readers, many of them early career researchers, were considering relocation and listed Canada and Europe as their top destinations.
A naturalized Canadian citizen, Dean Cao says that Canada appeals to American researchers because its comparable legal and governance systems would let them resume their work with minimal disruption.
Seeing the opportunity to bolster its academic ranks, the University has intensified its recruitment efforts to attract more researchers like Dean Cao. Discussions with several academic U.S.-based researchers are already underway and administrators are finalizing agreements to welcome even more exceptional talents to our campuses.
“We are thrilled to have recruited Professor Cao amid such intense competition for top academic talent,” says uOttawa Vice-President of Research and Innovation Julie St. Pierre. “Her visionary leadership, success as an entrepreneur, and vast global network of interdisciplinary researchers will further advance uOttawa’s reputation for research intensity and expand the influence of our Faculty of Engineering into the leading global innovation networks.”
Leading by example to mobilize and energize
Universities that land top-flight researchers benefit from increased prestige, visibility, networking and commercial opportunities. Dean Cao’s sterling career as educator, researcher and entrepreneur speaks for itself: a mere three months into her role as dean, her collaborative leadership and “sheer force of energy” have mobilized a faculty ready to reach new heights of innovation and explore new avenues, which will further enhance uOttawa’s reputation for research excellence with real-world impact.
More: Listen to Dr. Cao's interview with Rebecca Zandbergen on CBC Ottawa Morning (Dec. 15, 2025)