研究兴趣主要集中在原子核多体理论、核天体物理以及计算物理等方面。

代表性的工作有：基于微观多体理论，给出了介质极化效应在对称核物质中对核子-核子对相互作用的贡献，阐述了反屏蔽效应的物理机制；在理论上预言了丰中子原子核^26,28Ne以及⁶⁸Ni存在矮共振模式，并被法国以及意大利实验组证实；建立和完善了严格考虑连续谱贡献的自洽的相对论无规位相近似方法和数值程序并应用于原子核集体激发性质研究等。

[1]Li-Gang Cao, Shisheng Zhang, H. Sagawa, Quenching factor of Gamow-Teller and spin dipole giant resonances, Phys. Rev. C 100(2019)054324.

　[2]Li-Gang Cao, X. Roca-Maza, G. Colo, H. Sagawa, Constraints on the neutron skin and symmetry energy from the anti-analog giant dipole resonance in Pb-208, Phys. Rev. C 92 (2015) 034308.

　[3]Li-Gang Cao, G. Colo, H. Sagawa, P. F. Bortignon, Properties of Single-particle States in a Fully Self-consistent Particle Vibration Coupling Approach, Phys. Rev. C 89 (2014) 044314.

　[4]Li-Gang Cao, H. Sagawa, G. Colo, Microscopic Study on Isoscalar Giant Monopole Resonance in Cd, Sn and Pb Isotopes, Phys. Rev. C86 (2012) 054313.

　[5]Li-Gang Cao, H. Sagawa, G. Colo, Effects of the Tensor Correlations on Low-lying Collective States in Finite Nuclei, Phys. Rev. C83 (2011) 034324.