2000年获西安交通大学药学专业学士学位；2003年获西安交通大学生药学专业硕士学位；2006年获第四军医大学药理学专业博士学位。毕业后任第四军医大学药学系讲师，2011年任副教授。2012年至2013年于加拿大湖首大学从事博士后研究。2014年任第四军医大学药学院天然药物学教研室副主任，入选第四军医大学“精英人才库”青年英才，破格遴选为博士研究生导师。2016年11月作为引进人才入职西北农林科技大学化学与药学院。 2012年被评为“陕西省青年科技新星”。兼任陕西省生理学会理事、陕西省药理学会中药药理专业委员会委员、陕西省中医药学会草医药专业委员会委员，中华医学会西安医学分会医疗技术鉴定专家。

药用多糖的结构与活性关系研究；糖苷类药物新靶点及作用机制研究

Cao W, Chang T, Li XQ, Wang R, Wu L*. Dual effects of fructose on ChREBP and FoxO1/3α are responsible for AldoB upregulation and vascular remodeling. Clin Sci (Lond). 2016 Dec 22. doi: 10.1042/CS20160251. (IF 5.016) Li XQ, Tian W, Liu XX, Zhang K, Huo JC, Liu WJ, Li P, Xiao X, Zhao MG, Cao W*. Corosolic acid inhibits the proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells and protects against diabetic renal damage. Sci Rep. 2016, 6: 26854 (IF 5.228) Li XQ, Liu XX, Wang XY, Xie YH, Yang Q, Liu XX, Ding YY, Cao W*, Wang SW*. Cinnamaldehyde Derivatives Inhibited Coxsackievirus B3-Induced Viral Myocarditis. Biomol Ther (Seoul). 2016 Oct 17. doi: 10.4062/biomolther. (IF 2.127) Zhao H, Yuan J, Yang Q, Xie Y, Cao W*, Wang S*. Cinnamaldehyde in a Novel Intravenous Submicrometer Emulsion: Pharmacokinetics, Tissue Distribution, Antitumor Efficacy, and Toxicity. J Agric Food Chem. 2015, 63(28):6386-6392 (IF 3.107) Li WY, Li P, Li XQ, Huang H, Yan HW, Zhang Y, Cao W*. Simultaneous Quantification of Uronic Acid, Amino Sugar, and Neutral Sugar in the Acidic Polysaccharides Extracted from the Roots of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels by HPLC. Food Anal Methods. 2015, 8:2087–2093 (IF 2.167) Zhao H, Yang Q, Xie Y, Sun J, Tu H, Cao W*, Wang S*. Simultaneous determination of cinnamaldehyde and its metabolite in rat tissues by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Biomed Chromatogr. 2015, 29(2):182-187 (IF 1.662) Zhou X, Yang Q, Xie Y, Sun J, Hu J, Qiu P, Cao W*, Wang S*.Tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside extends mouse life span via upregulating neural klotho and downregulating neural insulin or insulin-like growth factor 1. Neurobiol Aging. 2015, 36(3):1462-1470 (IF 5.153) Li Y, Yuan J, Yang Q, Cao W*, Zhou X, Xie Y, Tu H, Zhang Y, Wang S. Immunoliposome co-delivery of bufalin and anti-CD40 antibody adjuvant induces synergetic therapeutic efficacy against melanoma. Int J Nanomedicine. 2014, 9:5683-5700. (IF 4.383) Li Y, Zhao H, Duan L, Li H, Yang Q, Tu H, Cao W*, Wang S*. Preparation, characterization and evaluation of bufalin liposomes coated with citrus pectin. Colloid Surface A. 2014, 444(5): 54-62 (IF 2.108) Zhao H, Xie Y, Yang Q, Cao Y, Tu H, Cao W*, Wang S. Pharmacokinetic study of cinnamaldehyde in rats by GC-MS after oral and intravenous administration. J Pharmaceut Biomed. 2014, 89: 150-157 (IF 2.947) Chen Y, Cao Y, Xie Y, Zhang X, Yang Q, Li X, Sun J, Qiu P, Cao W*, Wang S*. Traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of primary dysmenorrhea: how do Yuanhu painkillers effectively treat dysmenorrhea? Phytomedicine. 2013, 20(12):1095-104 (IF 2.972) Zhou X, Yang Q, Xie Y, Sun J, Qiu P, Cao W*, Wang S*. Protective effect of tetrahydroxystilbene glucoside against D-galactose induced aging process in mice. Phytochem Lett. 2013, 6(3): 372-378 (IF 1.179) Zhang Y, Cao W*, Xie YH, Yang Q, Li XQ, Liu XX, Wang SW*. The comparison of α-bromo-4-chlorocinnamaldehyde and cinnamaldehyde on coxsackie virus B3-induced myocarditis and their mechanisms. Int Immunopharmacol. 2012, 14(1):107-113 (IF 2.417) Zhang XK, Xie YH, Cao W*, Yang Q, Miao S, Wang SW*. Brain distribution study of imperatorin in rats after oral administration assessed by HPLC. Chromatographia. 2011, 74(3-4):259-265 (IF 1.195) Cao W, Xie YH, Li XQ, Zhang XK, Chen YT, Kang R, Chen X, Miao S, Wang SW. Burn-induced apoptosis of cardiomyocytes is survivin dependent and regulated by PI3K/Akt, p38 MAPK and ERK pathways. Basic Res Cardiol. 2011, 106(6):1207-1220 (IF 7.348) Li YR, Cao W(co-first author), Guo J, Miao S, Ding GR, Li KC, Wang J, Guo GZ. Comparative investigations on the protective effects of rhodioside, ciwujianoside-B and astragaloside IV on radiation injuries of the hematopoietic system in mice. Phytother Res, 2011, 25, 644-653 (IF 2.086) Cao W, Li XQ, Wang X, Fan HT, Zhang XN, Hou Y, Liu SB, Mei QB. A novel polysaccharide, isolated from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels induces the apoptosis of cervical cancer HeLa cells through an intrinsic apoptotic pathway. Phytomedicine. 2010, 17(8-9):598-605 (IF 2.972) Cao W, Li XQ, Wang X, Li T, Chen X, Liu SB, Mei QB. Characterizations and anti-tumor activities of three acidic polysaccharides from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. Int J Biol Macromol. 2010, 46(1): 115-122 (IF 2.453) Cao W, Li XQ, Zhang XN, Hou Y, Zeng AG, Xie YH, Wang SW. Madecassoside suppresses LPS-induced TNF-α production in cardiomyocytes through inhibition of ERK, p38, and NF-κB activity. Int Immunopharmacol. 2010, 10(7): 723-729 (IF 2.417) Li XQ, Cao W(co-first author), Li T, Zeng AG, Hao LL, Zhang XN, Mei QB. Amlodipine inhibits TNF-α production and attenuates cardiac dysfunction induced by lipopolysaccharide involving PI3K/Akt pathway. Int Immunopharmacol. 2009, 9(9):1032–1041 (IF 2.214) Cao W, Li XQ, Liu L, Yang TH, Li C, Fan HT, Jia M, Lv Z, Mei Q. Structure of an anti-tumor polysaccharide from Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. Carbiohyd Polym, 2006, 66(2): 149-159 (IF 3.628) Cao W, Li XQ, Liu L, Wang M, Fan HT, Li C, Lv Z, Wang X, Mei Q. Structural analysis of water-soluble glucans from the root of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. Carbiohyd Res, 2006, 341(11): 1870-1877 (IF 2.332)