• Assistant Professor, Statistics and Actuarial Science, University of Waterloo (2022–current)

• PhD, Actuarial Science, Risk Management, and Insurance, University of Wisconsin–Madison (2022)

• BMath, Joint Honours Actuarial Science and Statistics, University of Waterloo (2016)

• ASA (Associate of the Society of Actuaries) (2018)

• Gao, L. and Shi, P. (2025). “Risk Modeling of Property Insurance Claims from Weather Events,” ASTIN Bulletin, 55(2), pp. 242-262.

• Gao, L. and Shi, P. (2022). “Leveraging High-Resolution Weather Information to Predict Hail Damage Claims: A Spatial Point Process for Replicated Point Patterns,” Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, 107(2022), pp. 161-179.

• Gao, L. and Rosenberg, M. A. (2021). “Assessing the Causal Impact of Delayed Oral Health Care on Emergency Department Utilization,” North American Actuarial Journal, 25(1), pp. 40-52.

• Frees, E. W. and Gao, L. (2020). “Predictive Analytics and Medical Malpractice,” North American Actuarial Journal, 24(2), pp. 211-227.

• Cretu, D., Gao, L., Liang, K., Soosaipillai, A., Diamandis, E., and Chandran, V. (2018). “Differentiating Psoriatic Arthritis From Psoriasis Without Psoriatic Arthritis Using Novel Serum Biomarkers,” Arthritis Care & Research, 70(3), pp. 454-461.

Contributed book chapters:

• Model Selection and Estimation, with Edward W. Frees for Loss Data Analytics, Open Actuarial Textbooks

• Aggregate Loss Models, with Peng Shi for Loss Data Analytics, Open Actuarial Textbooks

• Gao, L., Yang, F., and Zhao, Y. “Catastrophe Risk Pooling.” Under revision.

• Gao, L., Jessup, S., and Yan, T. “A zero-inflated mixed-effects spatial point process for grouped storm loss data.” Under revision.

• Yan, T. and Gao, L. “Event-structured dependence in frequency-severity modelling of storm losses.”

• Gao, L., Shi, P., and Zhao, Z. “A Copula-Based Sample Selection Model for Replicated Spatial Data.”

• Gao, L. “Dependent and Spatially Correlated Frequency-Severity Modeling of Weather Property Risks.”

• 2024–2025 MTHEL 131 - Introduction to Actuarial Practice
  Winter: 4.3/5, 108 students

• 2024–2025 ACTSC 363 - Casualty and Health Insurance Mathematics 1
  Winter: 4.7/5, 28 students

• 2024–2025 ACTSC 363 - Casualty and Health Insurance Mathematics 1
  Spring: 4.0/5, 30 students

• 2023–2024 ACTSC 363 - Casualty and Health Insurance Mathematics 1
  Winter: 4.5/5, 53 students

• 2023–2024 ACTSC 625 - Casualty and Health Insurance Mathematics (graduate)
  Winter: 4.8/5, 11 students

• 2022–2023 ACTSC 231 - Introductory Financial Mathematics
  Winter: 4.5/5, 73 students

• Quantact Actuarial and Financial Mathematics Seminar (2025)
  Modelling spatially correlated property insurance storm loss data

• international Actuarial Association ASTIN Webinar (2025)
  Risk Modeling of Property Insurance Claims from Weather Events

• Workshop Chaire Assurabilité des Risques Émergents (2025)
  Modelling spatially correlated property insurance storm loss data

• Statistical Society of Canada Annual Meeting (2025)
  A zero-inflated mixed-effects spatial point process for grouped storm loss data

• University of Toronto Actuarial Science Seminar (2024)
  Weather-related property risk modelling with replicated spatial data

• Actuarial Research Conference (2023) (Invited Session) Climate Change: Models and Data
  Risk Modeling of Hail Damage Insurance Claims Using a Factor Copula Regression for Replicated Spatial Data

• Waterloo Conference in Statistics, Actuarial Science, and Finance (2023)
  Risk Modeling of Hail Damage Insurance Claims Using a Factor Copula Regression for Replicated Spatial Data

• Georgia State University Maurice R. Greenberg School of Risk Science Seminar (2023)
  Insurance Claims Management for Spatially Correlated Weather Property Losses

• University of Waterloo Statistics and Actuarial Science Student Seminar (2022)
  A Spatial Factor Copula for Replicated Weather Property Insurance Loss Data

• University of New South Wales School of Risk and Actuarial Studies Seminar (2022)
  A Marked Spatial Point Process for Insurance Claims Management

• The Ohio State University Mathematics Department Seminar (2022)
  A Marked Spatial Point Process for Insurance Claims Management

• University of Waterloo Statistics and Actuarial Science Department Seminar (2021)
  A Marked Spatial Point Process for Insurance Claims Management

• University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire Mathematics Department Seminar (2021)
  Leveraging High-Resolution Weather Information to Predict Hail Damage Claims: A Spatial Point Process for Replicated Point Patterns

• University of St. Thomas Mathematics Department Seminar (2021)
  Leveraging High-Resolution Weather Information to Predict Hail Damage Claims: A Spatial Point Process for Replicated Point Patterns

• Chinese University of Hong Kong Finance Department Seminar (2021)
  Leveraging High-Resolution Weather Information to Predict Hail Damage Claims: A Spatial Point Process for Replicated Point Patterns

• International Joint Conference CFE-CMStatistics (2025)
  A zero-inflated mixed-effects spatial point process for grouped storm loss data

• Joint Statistical Meetings (2023)
  Risk Modeling of Hail Damage Insurance Claims Using a Factor Copula Regression for Replicated Spatial Data

• International Congress on Insurance: Mathematics and Economics (2023)
  Risk Modeling of Hail Damage Insurance Claims Using a Factor Copula Regression for Replicated Spatial Data

• Waterloo Student Conference in Statistics, Actuarial Science and Finance (2021) (Presentation Award)
  Leveraging High-Resolution Weather Information to Predict Hail Damage Claims: A Spatial Point Process for Replicated Point Patterns

• Actuarial Research Conference (2021) (Best Student Presentation Award)
  Leveraging High-Resolution Weather Information to Predict Hail Damage Claims: A Spatial Point Process for Replicated Point Patterns

• International Congress on Insurance: Mathematics and Economics (2021)
  Leveraging High-Resolution Weather Information to Predict Hail Damage Claims: A Spatial Point Process for Replicated Point Patterns

• Actuarial Research Conference (2019) (Honorable Mention Presentation Award)
  The Impact of Unmet Oral Health Needs on Hospital Emergency Department Utilization

• 2026–2027 Canadian Institute of Actuaries Academic Research Grant, $15,000 CAD

• 2023–2028 NSERC Discovery Grants, $135,000 CAD

• 2023–2024 NSERC Discovery Launch Supplement, $12,500 CAD

• University of Waterloo Statistics and Actuarial Science Teaching Award (2025)

• Society of Actuaries James C. Hickman Scholar (2017–2021)

• Waterloo Student Conference in Statistics, Actuarial Science and Finance Presentation Award (2021)

• Actuarial Research Conference Best Student Presentation (2021)

• Wisconsin School of Business Distinguished Teaching Award (2017, 2020, 2021)

• Wisconsin School of Business Graduate Scholarship (2016–2021)

• Wisconsin School of Business Travel Award (2019, 2021)

• Actuarial Research Conference Honorable Mention (2019)

• UW–Madison Student Research Grants Competition Travel Award (2019)

• University of Waterloo Mathematics Dean’s Honours List – With Distinction (2016)

• NSERC Undergraduate Student Research Award (2014)

• University of Waterloo President’s Research Award (2014)

• Referee for: Annals of Actuarial Science, ASTIN Bulletin, Canadian Journal of Statistics, European Actuarial Journal, Insurance: Mathematics and Economics, Journal of Risk and Insurance, North American Actuarial Journal, Variance

• Academic Advisory Panel, Casualty Actuarial Society (2025)

• Operations Committee, Actuarial Research Conference (2025)

• Panelist, Women in Math Navigating Your Career Conference (2025)

• Chair, Actuarial Science and Financial Mathematics Seminar Series (2024–2025)

• Chair, Waterloo Conference in Statistics, Actuarial Science, and Finance (2024–2025)

• Course Redevelopment, MTHEL 131 - Introduction to Actuarial Practice (2024–2025)

• Admissions Committee, Master of Actuarial Science (MActSc) (2022–2026)

• Exam Grader, Society of Actuaries (2024-2026)

• Organizer, Actuarial Science and Financial Mathematics Seminar Series (2023–2024)

• Consultant, Math Strategic Framework, Faculty of Mathematics (2023)

• Organizing Committee, Waterloo Conference in Statistics, Actuarial Science, and Finance (2023)

• Panelist, CANSSI Ontario Job Market Advice (2022)

• Social Media Assistant, Journal of Risk and Insurance (2020–2022)

• Organizer, Wisconsin School of Business Teaching Improvement Program (2019–2022)

• Discussant, American Risk and Insurance Association Annual Meeting (2018)

• Tianxing Yan, PhD (current)

• Zhiyang Cheng, PhD (current) (co-supervised with Chengguo Weng)

• Sébastien Jessup, Postdoc (2025)

• Yimiao Zhao, PhD (2025) (co-supervised with Fan Yang)

• Vinayak Danny Maharaj, MMath (2025)

• Kevin Mou, NSERC USRA (2024)

• Mwasi Mboya, MMath (2023)

• Qianyu Chen, MMath (2023)

• Matthew Crane, MMath (2023)

• Haya Anis Kamel, MMath (2022)

• PhD committee: Rhoda Dadzie-Dennis (current), Minh Chau Nguyen (current), Yiping Guo (2025)