MegaSeg: Towards Scalable Semantic Segmentation for Megapixel Images
Kaura SK, Wu J, Gao Z*, Li C*. MegaSeg: Towards Scalable Semantic Segmentation for Megapixel Images. Medical Image Analysis. 2026 Jan 10:103933.
CV
Education
- Ph.D in Computer Science, Xi’an Jiaotong University, 2019-2023
- M.S. in Artificial Intelligence, Xidian University, 2014-2017
- B.S. in Electronic Engineering, Xidian University, 2010-2014
Work experience
- 2023-present: Research Associate
- University of Cambridge
- Department of Oncology
- 2017-2019: Algorithm Engineer
- Huawei Technologies Co Ltd
- Algorithm Innovation Lab
Publications
SMMILe enables accurate spatial quantification in digital pathology using multiple-instance learning
Gao Z., Mao, A., Dong, Y. et al. SMMILe enables accurate spatial quantification in digital pathology using multiple-instance learning. Nat Cancer (2025).
ProGIS: Prototype-Guided Interactive Segmentation for Pathological Images
Ge J, Zhang D, Zhan Y, Liu J, Gong T, Wu J, Crispin M, Li C, Gao Z*. ProGIS: Prototype-Guided Interactive Segmentation for Pathological Images. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging. 2025.
StaDis: Stability distance to detecting out-of-distribution data in computational pathology
Zhang D, Ge J, Liu J, Wang C, Gong T, Gao Z*, Li C*. StaDis: Stability distance to detecting out-of-distribution data in computational pathology. Medical Image Analysis. 2025 Aug 27:103774.
A fully annotated pathology slide dataset for early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions
Wang, C., Ge, J., Niu, Y., Ding, C., Fan, Y., Chang, H., Yang, Z., Ran, C., Teng, X., Wang, X., Wu, L., Gao, Z.*, Li, C.* (2025). A fully annotated pathology slide dataset for early gastric cancer and precancerous lesions. Scientific Data, 12.
CoxKAN: Kolmogorov-Arnold networks for interpretable, High-Performance survival analysis
W Knottenbelt, W McGough, R Wray, W Zhang, J Liu, I Machado, Z Gao*, M Crispin*, CoxKAN: Kolmogorov-Arnold networks for interpretable, High-Performance survival analysis, Bioinformatics, 2025
ALPaCA: Adapting Llama for Pathology Context Analysis to enable slide-level question answering
Gao Z, He K, Su W, et al. ALPaCA: Adapting Llama for Pathology Context Analysis to enable slide-level question answering[J]. medRxiv, 2025: 2025.04. 22.25326190.
From patches to WSIs: A systematic review of deep Multiple Instance Learning in computational pathology
Zhang Y1, Gao Z1, He K, et al. From patches to WSIs: A systematic review of deep Multiple Instance Learning in computational pathology[J]. Information Fusion, 2025: 103027.
Shallow-Deep Synergy: Boosting Cross-Domain Generalization in Histopathological Image Segmentation
X Wang, W Su, Y Dong, Y Li, X Zhang, T Gong, IP Machado, M Crispin-Ortuzar, C Li, Z Gao*. Shallow-Deep Synergy: Boosting Cross-Domain Generalization in Histopathological Image Segmentation[C]//2024 IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine (BIBM). IEEE, 2024: 3790-3794.
Pamil: Prototype attention-based multiple instance learning for whole slide image classification
J Liu, A Mao, Y Niu, X Zhang, T Gong, C Li, Z Gao*. Pamil: Prototype attention-based multiple instance learning for whole slide image classification[C]//International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention. Cham: Springer Nature Switzerland, 2024: 362-372.
Childhood leukemia classification via information bottleneck enhanced hierarchical multi-instance learning
Gao Z, Mao A, Wu K, et al. Childhood leukemia classification via information bottleneck enhanced hierarchical multi-instance learning[J]. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 2023, 42(8): 2348-2359.
A semi-supervised multi-task learning framework for cancer classification with weak annotation in whole-slide images
Gao Z, Hong B, Li Y, et al. A semi-supervised multi-task learning framework for cancer classification with weak annotation in whole-slide images[J]. Medical Image Analysis, 2023, 83: 102652.
Uncertainty-based Model Acceleration for Cancer Classification in Whole-Slide Images
Gao Z, Mao A, Wu J, et al. Uncertainty-based Model Acceleration for Cancer Classification in Whole-Slide Images[C]//2022 IEEE International Conference on Bioinformatics and Biomedicine (BIBM). IEEE, 2022: 1534-1538.
Unsupervised representation learning for tissue segmentation in histopathological images: From global to local contrast
Gao Z, Jia C, Li Y, et al. Unsupervised representation learning for tissue segmentation in histopathological images: From global to local contrast[J]. IEEE Transactions on Medical Imaging, 2022, 41(12): 3611-3623.
Instance-based vision transformer for subtyping of papillary renal cell carcinoma in histopathological image
Gao Z, Hong B, Zhang X, et al. Instance-based vision transformer for subtyping of papillary renal cell carcinoma in histopathological image[C]//International conference on medical image computing and computer-assisted intervention. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021: 299-308.
Nuclei Grading of Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma in Histopathological Image by Composite High-Resolution Network
Gao Z, Shi J, Zhang X, et al. Nuclei grading of clear cell renal cell carcinoma in histopathological image by composite high-resolution network[C]//International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2021: 132-142.
Renal cell carcinoma detection and subtyping with minimal point-based annotation in whole-slide images
Gao Z, Puttapirat P, Shi J, et al. Renal cell carcinoma detection and subtyping with minimal point-based annotation in whole-slide images[C]//International Conference on Medical Image Computing and Computer-Assisted Intervention. Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2020: 439-448.
Talks
Multimodal AI for Cancer Research
Talk at Maison de la Chimie, 28 Rue Saint-Dominique, Paris, France
Multiomics for Cancer
Lecture at Uni of Oxford's Mathematical Institute, Oxford, UK
Multimodal and Multiomics Foundation Models
lecture at Ionian Academy /Ionian University 1, Kapodistriou str., Corfu, Greece
Teaching
Service and leadership
- Reviewer for Nature Communications, IEEE TPAMI, IEEE TMI, Medical Image Analysis (MedIA), MICCAI, etc.
- Guest Editor, IEEE Transactions on Affective Computing, Special Issue on Can AI Care? Affective LLMs for the Future of Mental Health
- Organizer, International Workshop on Artificial Intelligence for Precision Medicine (BIBM)