Dr. Dai earned her M.D. from Hebei Medical University in China and her Ph.D. from the University of Missouri–Columbia. From 2017 to 2024, she progressed through the academic ranks from Assistant Professor to Associate Professor at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Her faculty appointment followed residency training in pathology at the University of Kansas, as well as fellowship training in surgical pathology at the University of Kansas and dermatopathology at the University of Virginia. She is triple board certified in anatomic pathology, clinical pathology, and dermatopathology.

From 2023 to 2024, Dr. Dai served as Director (Section Head) of Dermatopathology at the University of Kansas. She has authored or co-authored more than 30 peer-reviewed publications, 20 meeting abstracts, online educational content, and book chapters. A dedicated educator and mentor, Dr. Dai has been actively involved in the education of pathology, dermatology, family medicine, and internal medicine residents and follows, as well as medical students and post-sophomore fellows.

Dr. Dai joined IPA in 2024 and is proud to call Des Moines home. In her free time, she enjoys cooking, traveling, and spending time with her husband and their three sons.