Plenary Speakers

Professor Cao is currently the Party Secretary and Director-General of China Institute of Sport Science (CISS). He was promoted to professor in 2002 and subsequently took on leadership roles including serving as the team leader for several Chinese national teams, as well as holding positions as Deputy Director of sports program centers, and Deputy Director-General in both the Department of Science, Technology and Education and the Department of Competition and Training under the General Administration of Sport of China. As the scientific research coach for the China National Canoeing Team and team leader for the China National Rowing Team, he contributed significantly to achieving historic Olympic gold medals in the Men's Canoe Double and Women's Quadruple Sculls events. He has received several distinguished honors, including the Outstanding Scientific and Technological Contribution Award for the 28th Olympic Games (Individual), the Second Prize of the State Scientific and Technological Progress Award (2006), and the Outstanding Contribution Award for the Preparation of the Beijing Olympic Games (2008), among others. He has published over 40 papers in leading Chinese academic journals such as <China Sport Science>. At present, he serves as the Principal Investigator of a National Key R&D Program of China for "Active Health" and as the Lead Expert for a Major Program of the National Social Science Fund of China. Additionally, he serves as the Vice Chairman and Secretary-General of China Sport Science Society (CSSS), Chairman of Chinese Association of Biomechanics in Sports of China Sport Science Society, and Editor-in-Chief of <China Sport Science> and <China Sport Science and Technology>.

Professor Engebretsen is currently the Professor Emeritus of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Oslo University Clinic and stepped down Dec 31 2024 as Head of Medical Sciences in the International Olympic Committee.

Professor Engebretsen has published over 600 international articles and book chapters, with a citation index (H-index) of 144. He is among the world's most productive in clinical, epidemiological and basic science research in the areas of general sports medicine, knee ligaments, cartilage and prevention of sports injuries and illnesses.

He has received research grants and awards from many agencies and associations, including the National Institutes of Health, the Norwegian Council for Research in Science and Humanities, the Norwegian Ministry of Health, the American Orthopedic Society of Sports Medicine (AOSSM) and the International Olympic Committee. He and his group have won several research awards around the world, and he was inducted into the AOSSM Hall of Fame in July 2015 and became an ESSKA Honorary member in 2016 and ISAKOS Honorary member in 2017 and EFFORT Honorary member in 2022. He received the Nordic Prize in Medicine in 2016.

Engebretsen is involved with three research groups: Knee ligaments together with May Arna Risberg in Oslo and Robert Laprade in Vail, Colorado, now in Minnesota, the Oslo Sports Trauma Research Center co-chaired with professor Roald Bahr and emphasizing prevention of injuries and diseases in sports, and the Oslo Cartilage Group, which encompasses research from the cell to rehab after surgery, involving molecular biologists, pathologists, radiologists, physiotherapists and orthopedic surgeons. The Engebretsen group were just awarded 12 million Nor Kroner for OA research.