Grace Gao

Grace Gao is an Associate Professor in the Department of Aeronautics and Astronautics at Stanford University, with a courtesy appointment in Electrical Engineering. She directs the Navigation and Autonomous Vehicles Laboratory (NAV Lab) and serves as co-director of the Stanford AI Safety Center as well as co-lead of the Stanford SystemX Robotics area. Gao’s research focuses on robust, secure, and reliable perception, localization, and navigation for autonomous systems operating in challenging environments. Her group works across a wide range of platforms, including crewed and uncrewed aerial vehicles, autonomous cars, humanoid robots, and space robotic systems, with an emphasis on GNSS integrity, sensor fusion, and resilient autonomy. Gao has received numerous honors, such as the NSF CAREER Award, the Institute of Navigation Early Achievement Award, the RTCA William E. Jackson Award, and Stanford’s Inspiring Early Academic Career Award. She is also widely recognized for her teaching and mentorship, receiving multiple awards from the AIAA Stanford Chapter.