Dr. Xu is a professor and doctoral advisor at Department of Precision Instrumentation and College of Biomedical Engineering at USTC. He received a bachelor degree in Precision Machinery and Instrumentation from USTC in 1992, a master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from State University of New York at Stony Brook in 1995, and a doctoral degree in Mechanical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1999. Dr. Xu did his postdoctoral research at Center for Design Research of Stanford University, followed by an entrepreneurship experience at a medical device startup company in Silicon Valley as Director of Technology. In 2004, he was appointed as an assistant professor at Department of Biomedical Engineering of The Ohio State University in late 2004, and was later promoted to the level of tenured associate professor. In 2012, Dr. Xu returned to USTC and had been chairing Department of Precision Machinery and Instrumentation from 2014 to 2018. In 2021, he joined Suzhou Institute for Advanced Research of USTC as a professor and director of faculty recruitment. Dr. Xu’s research interests include biomedical optics and surgical navigation, micro encapsulation for drug delivery, and 3D printing of biomimetic phantoms. He has delivered more than twenty research projects in China and oversea and published more than one hundred research papers on high-impact SCI journals. He was profiled as one of ten Best and Brightest Central Ohioans by the magazine of Columbus CEO and was honored as one of two Superstars in the category of Research and Development. He also earned Wallace H. Coulter Award for Early Career Translational Research, TechColumbus “Inventor of the Year” Award, and Lumley Research Award. In 2015, Dr. Xu was nominated as Fellow of the Institute of Physics and Senior Member of the International Society for Optics & Photonics (SPIE).

E- Mail: xux@ustc.edu.cn

Research fields, Achievements and Innovation:

·Multimodal imaging and image-guided therapy: Dr. Xu and his team have developed more than ten portable medical and surgical navigation devices, commercialized two techniques for clinical translation, and applied for more than 20 domestic and international patents. The in-situ projection surgical navigation and tele-guided surgery techniques have enabled surgeons to accurately delineate lesion boundaries and surgical paths with their naked eyes, greatly improving the surgical outcomes. The related techniques have been validated in clinical trials of hundred cases. The deep learning-based diagnostic and treatment techniques developed by Dr. Xu lab have the potential to alleviate the lack of medical resources and improve people’s health in rural areas and resource-limiting settings.

·Microbubbles and nanobubbles: Microfluidic technologies such as flow focusing, electro-atomization and interfacial shearing have been used to construct micro- and nano-capsules with multi-layered complex structures and multi-components to achieve high-throughput homogeneous encapsulation of oxygen, nanoparticles, drugs and cells. The research results have been published in Nature, Biomaterials, Lab on a Chip, Advanced Science, ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces and other professional journals.

·Standardization of medical instruments: In response to the lack of traceable standards for medical optical instruments, Dr. Xu lab pioneered the research of traceable phantom standard, proposed the concept of digital phantoms for the first time and prepared microspheres that can mimic oxygen transport and spectral properties of red blood cells. With the support of a major scientific instrument development grant from National Science Foundation, Dr. Xu’s team has successfully developed a 3D printing system for automatic characterization and fabrication of biomimetic optical phantoms.

Awards

• Wallace H. Coulter Award for Early Career Translational Research (2007)

• One of Ten brightest Central Ohioans by Columbus CEO Magazine (2010, the only Chinese recipient of the year)

• TechColumbus “Inventor of the Year” (State of Ohio, the only recipient of the year) (2011)

• Fellow, Institute of Physics (2015 - present)

Publications within 5 years

2021：

• S. Ali, F. Mangrio, F. Li, P. Dwivedi, M. Rajput, R. Ali, M. Khan, W. Ding, R.X. Xu*, “Co-delivery of artemether and piperine via core-shell microparticles for enhanced sustained release”, Journal of Drug Delivery Science and Technology, 63, 102505 (2021). IF: 2.734

• S. Wang, Z. Zhu, C. Ma, R. Qiao, C. Yang, R.X. Xu, T. Si,  “Generation of non-spherical liquid metal microparticles with tunable shapes exhibiting electrostatic- responsive performance”. ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces , 13 (14): 16677-16687 (2021). IF: 8.758

• M. Zhang, S. Wang,  Y. Zhu, Z. Zhu, T. Si,  R.X. Xu*, “Programmable dynamic interfacial spinning of bioinspired microfibers with volumetric encoding”, Materials Horizons， 8， 1756-1768 (2021). IF: 12.31                

• R. Zhang, R. Yang, Z. Lang, B. Wu, P. Shao, P. Liu, X. Zhong, C. Contreras, R.X. Xu*, “Coaxial projective imaging for sentinel lymph node mapping in melanoma: a case report”,  JAAD Case Reports, (2021,accepted). IF: 1.104

• Y. Qu, Z. Smith, J. Smith, K. Tyler, S. Chang, S. Shen, M. Sun, R. X. Xu*, “Applying limiting entropy to quantify the alignment of collagen fibers by polarized light imaging”, Mathematical Biosciences and Engineering 18(3), 2331-2356 (2021). IF: 1.338

2020：

• Y. Xue, L. Qi, Y. Niu, H. Huang, F. Huang, T. Si*, Y. Zhao*, and R. X. Xu*, Integration of Electrospray and Digital Light Processing for Freeform Patterning of Porous Microstructures, Advanced Materials Technologies 2000578 (2020). IF: 5.969

• C. Sun, H. You*, Y. Xie, and R. X. Xu, Performance Optimization of Microvalves Based on a Microhole Array for Microfluidic Chips, J Anal Methods Chem 2020(8842890-8842890 (2020). IF: 1.878

• P. Liu, C. Li, C. Xiao, Z. Zhang, J. Ma, J. Gao, P. Shao, I. Valerio, T. Pawlik, C. Ding, A. Yilmaz, and R. X. Xu*, A wearable augmented reality navigation system for surgical telementoring based on Microsoft HoloLens, Annals of Biomedical Engineering 49, 287-298, DOI: 10.1007/s10439-020-02538-5 (2020). IF: 3.474

• P. Dwivedi, S. Kiran, S. Han, M. Dwivedi, R. Khatik, R. Fan, F. A. Mangrio, K. Du, Z. Zhu, and C. Yang, F. Huang, A. Ejaz, R. Han, T. Si, R.X. Xu*,  Magnetic targeting and ultrasound activation of liposome-microbubble conjugate for enhanced delivery of anti-cancer therapies, ACS applied materials & interfaces 12(21), 23737-23751 (2020). IF: 8.456

• Y. Qu, Y. Meng, S. Feng, M. Liu, L. Xiao, X. Zhang, S. Chang, and R. Xu*, Therapeutic Assessment of High-intensity Focused Ultrasound for Vulvar Lichen Sclerosus by Active Dynamic Thermal Imaging and Hyperspectral Imaging—A Preliminary Study, Frontiers in Physics 8(91) (2020). IF: 1.895

• F. Huang, Z. Zhu, Y. Niu, Y. Zhao, T. Si*, and R. X. Xu*, Coaxial oblique interface shearing: tunable generation and sorting of double emulsions for spatial gradient drug release, Lab on a Chip 20(7), 1249-1258 (2020). IF: 6.914

• W. Xu, H. Zheng, Y. Liu, X. Zhou, C. Zhang, Y. Song, X. Deng, M. Leung, Z. Yang, R. X. Xu, Z. L. Wang, X. C. Zeng and Z. Wang, A droplet-based electricity generator with high instantaneous power density, Nature (2020). IF: 43.070

2019：

• C. Ma, S. Shen, G. Liu, S. Guo, B. Guo, J. Li, K. Huang, Y. Zheng, P. Shao, E. Dong, J. Chu and R. X. Xu, Multimodal 3D Printing of Phantoms to Simulate Biological Tissue, J Vis Exp 155), (2020). IF: 1.325

• S. Kiran, P. Dwivedi, R. Khatik, S. Hameed, M. Dwivedi, F. Huang and R. X. Xu*, Synthesis of a functionalized dipeptide for targeted delivery and pH-sensitive release of chemotherapeutics, Chem Commun (Camb) 56(2), 285-288 (2019). IF: 6.164

• F. Huang, Y. Niu, Z. Zhu, H. Huang, Y. Xue, T. Si, R. X. Xu* and Y. Zhao*, Oblique interface shearing (OIS): single-step microdroplet generation and on-demand positioning, Soft Matter 15(24), 4782-4786 (2019). IF: 3.399

• S. Liu, H. Wang, C. Zhang, J. Dong, S. Liu, R. Xu and C. Tian, In Vivo Photoacoustic Sentinel Lymph Node Imaging Using Clinically-Approved Carbon Nanoparticles, IEEE Trans Biomed Eng (2019). IF: 4.491

• F. Zhang, X. Zhu, J. Gao, B. Wu, P. Liu, P. Shao, M. Xu, T. M. Pawlik, E. W. Martin and R. X. Xu, Coaxial projective imaging system for surgical navigation and telementoring, J Biomed Opt 24(10), 1-9 (2019). IF: 3.337

• C. Li, P. Liu, P. Shao, J. Pei, Y. Li, T. M. Pawlik, E. W. Martin and R. X. Xu, Handheld projective imaging device for near-infrared fluorescence imaging and intraoperative guidance of sentinel lymph node resection, J Biomed Opt 24(8), 1-4 (2019). IF: 2.367

• G. Tang, R. Xiong, D. Lv, R. X. Xu, K. Braeckmans, C. Huang and S. C. De Smedt, Gas‐Shearing Fabrication of Multicompartmental Microspheres: A One‐Step and Oil‐Free Approach, Advanced Science 1802342 (2019). IF: 15.804

• M. Zhang, Z. Zhu, S. Yuan, S. Wang, C. Yang, P. Dwivedi, T. Si and R. X. Xu*, One-step microencapsulation and spraying of pesticide formulations for improved adhesion and sustained release, Journal of Microencapsulation 36(7), 649-658 (2019). IF: 1.585

• W. Xu, X. Zhou, C. Hao, H. Zheng, Y. Liu, X. Yan, Z. Yang, M. Leung, X. C. Zeng, R. X. Xu and Z. Wang, SLIPS-TENG: robust triboelectric nanogenerator with optical and charge transparency using a slippery interface, National Science Review 6(3), 540-550 (2019). IF: 13.833

• C. Yang, R. Qiao, K. Mu, Z. Zhu, R. X. Xu and T. Si, Manipulation of jet breakup length and droplet size in axisymmetric flow focusing upon actuation, Physics of Fluids 31(9), 091702 (2019). IF: 2.840

• Z. Zhu, F. Huang, C. Yang, T. Si and R. X. Xu, On-Demand Generation of Double Emulsions Based on Interface Shearing for Controlled Ultrasound Activation, ACS applied materials & interfaces 11(43), 40932-40943 (2019). IF: 8.456

• S. Han, P. Dwivedi, F. Mangrio, M. Dwivedi, R. Khatik, D. Cohn, T. Si and R. Xu*, Sustained Release Paclitaxel Loaded Core-Shell Structured Solid Lipid Microparticles for Intraperitoneal Chemotherapy of Ovarian Cancer, Artificial Cells, Nanomedicine and Biotechnology (2019 , in press). IF: 3.026

• S. Shen, H. Wang, Y. Qu, K. Huang, G. Liu, Z. Chen, C. Ma, P. Shao, J. Hong, P. Lemaillet, E. Dong and R. X. Xu*, Simulating orientation and polarization characteristics of dense fibrous tissue by electrostatic spinning of polymeric fibers, Biomedical optics express 10(2), 571-583 (2019). IF: 3.337

• P. Dwivedi, S. Han, F. Mangrio, R. Fan, M. Dwivedi, Z. Zhu, F. Huang, Q. Wu, R. Khatik, D. E. Cohn, T. Si, S. Hu, A. Sparreboom and R. X. Xu, Engineered multifunctional biodegradable hybrid microparticles for paclitaxel delivery in cancer therapy, Materials Science & Engineering C 102(113-123 (2019). IF: 5.08

• G. Tang, R. Xiong, D. Lv, R. X. Xu, K. Braeckmans, C. Huang and S. C. De Smedt, Gas‐Shearing Fabrication of Multicompartmental Microspheres: A One‐Step and Oil‐Free Approach, Advanced Science 1802342 (2019). IF: 12.441

2018：

• Z. Zhu, Q. Wu, S. Han, W. Xu, F. Zhong, S. Yuan, P. Dwivedi, T. Si and R. X. Xu*, Rapid production of single-and multi-compartment polymeric microcapsules in a facile 3D microfluidic process for magnetic separation and synergistic delivery, Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical 275(190-198 (2018). IF: 5.667

• J. Ye, G. Liu, P. Liu, S. Zhang, P. Shao, Z. J. Smith, C. Liu and R. X. Xu*, Benchtop and animal validation of a portable fluorescence microscopic imaging system for potential use in cholecystectomy, J Biomed Opt 23(2), 1-4 (2018). IF: 2.859

• Q. Wu, C. Yang, J. Yang, F. Huang, G. Liu, Z. Zhu, T. Si and R. X. Xu*, Photopolymerization of complex emulsions with irregular shapes fabricated by multiplex coaxial flow focusing, Applied Physics Letters 112(7), 071601 (2018). IF: 3.495

• X. Lv, H. Chen, G. Liu, S. Shen, Q. Wu, C. Hu, J. Li, E. Dong and R. X. Xu*, Design of a portable phantom device to simulate tissue oxygenation and blood perfusion, Appl Opt 57(14), 3938-3946 (2018). IF: 1.791

• Q. Lu, G. Liu, C. Xiao, C. Hu, S. Zhang, R. X. Xu, K. Chu, Q. Xu and Z. J. Smith, A modular, open-source, slide-scanning microscope for diagnostic applications in resource-constrained settings, PLoS One 13(3), e0194063 (2018). IF: 2.766

• G. Liu, Q. Wu, P. Dwivedi, C. Hu, Z. Zhu, S. Shen, J. Chu, G. Zhao, T. Si and R. X. Xu*, Hemoglobin-Laden Microcapsules for Simulating Oxygen Dynamics of Biological Tissue, ACS Biomaterials Science & Engineering 4(9), 3177-3184 (2018). IF: 4.432

• G. Liu, K. Huang, Q. Jia, S. Liu, S. Shen, J. Li, E. Dong, P. Lemaillet, D. W. Allen and R. X. Xu*, Fabrication of a multilayer tissue-mimicking phantom with tunable optical properties to simulate vascular oxygenation and perfusion for optical imaging technology, Appl Opt 57(23), 6772-6780 (2018). IF: 1.791

• Z. Deng, S. Yuan, R. X. Xu, H. Liang and S. Liu, Reduction-Triggered Transformation of Disulfide-Containing Micelles at Chemically Tunable Rates, Angew Chem Int Ed Engl 57(29), 8896-8900 (2018). IF: 12.102

• B. Cai, X. Zhai, Z. Wang, Y. Shen, R. Xu, Z. J. Smith, Q. Wen and K. Chu, Optical volumetric projection for fast 3D imaging through circularly symmetric pupil engineering, Biomedical optics express 9(2), 437-446 (2018). IF: 3.337

• K. Mu, T. Si, E. Li, R. X. Xu and H. Ding, Numerical study on droplet generation in axisymmetric flow focusing upon actuation, Physics of fluids 30(012111 (2018). IF: 2.279

• R. Zheng, L. Liu, S. Zhang, C. Zheng, F. Bunyak, R. Xu, B. Li and M. Sun, Detection of exudates in fundus photographs with imbalanced learning using conditional generative adversarial network, Biomedical optics express 9(10), 4863-4878 (2018). IF: 3.337

• X. Li, J. Xie, S. Tang, R. Xu, X. Li, W. Li and S. Zhang, A Controllable Untethered Vehicle Driven by Electrically Actuated Liquid Metal Droplets, IEEE Transactions on Industrial Informatics 1-1 (2018). IF: 6.764

2017：

• Q. Wu, C. Yang, G. Liu, W. Xu, Z. Zhu, T. Si and R. X. Xu*, Multiplex coaxial flow focusing for producing multicompartment Janus microcapsules with tunable material compositions and structural characteristics, Lab Chip, DOI: 10.1039/c7lc00769h (2017). IF: 6

• J. Xu, S. Yuan, J. Tian, K. A. Martin, J. Song, C. Li, Z. Wang, J. Lin, T. Si and R. X. Xu*, Ultrasound mediated delivery of oxygen and LLL12 loaded stimuli responsive microdroplets for the treatment of hypoxic cancer cells, Scientific reports 7(44908 (2017). IF: 4.122

• S. Shen, H. Wang, L. Yuan, X. Zhou, X. Du, Z. Zhao, E. Dong, B. Liu, W. Liu, B. Cromeens4, B. Adler, G. Besner, R. X. Xu*, Freeform fabrication of a tissue-simulating phantom for surgical planning in conjoined twin separation surgery, Scientific Reports 7(1), 11048 (2017). IF: 4.122

• F. A. Mangrio, P. Dwivedi, S. Han, G. Zhao, D. Gao, T. Si and R. X. Xu*, Characteristics of Artemether-Loaded Poly(lactic-co-glycolic) Acid Microparticles Fabricated by Coaxial Electrospray: Validation of Enhanced Encapsulation Efficiency and Bioavailability, Mol Pharm 14(12), 4725-4733 (2017). IF: 4.556

• W. Ren, Y. Qu, J. Pei, L. Xiao, S. Zhang, S. Chang and R. X. Xu*, Development of a Multimodal Colposcopy for Characterization of Cervical Intraepithelial Neoplasia, Journal of Medical Devices 11(3), 031005-031005-031010 (2017) . IF: 0.412

• R. Ma, Q. Wu, T. Si, S. Chang and R. X. Xu*, Oxygen and Indocyanine Green loaded microparticles for dual-mode imaging and sonodynamic treatment of cancer cells, Ultrasonics sonochemistry 39, p197-207 (2017). IF: 6.012

• J. Tian, H. Xiao, R. Wu, Y. Cao, C. Li, R. Xu, C. R. Pierson, J. L. Finlay, F. Yang, N. Gu and J. Lin*, The Antiproliferative and Colony-suppressive Activities of STAT3 Inhibitors in Human Cancer Cells Is Compromised Under Hypoxic Conditions, Anticancer Res 37(2), 547-553 (2017). IF: 1.937

• Y. Niu, X. Zhang, T. Si, Y. Zhang, L. Qi, G. Zhao, R. X. Xu*, X. He and Y. Zhao, Simultaneous Measurements of Geometric and Viscoelastic Properties of Hydrogel Microbeads Using Continuous-Flow Microfluidics with Embedded Electrodes, Small 13(48), (2017). IF: 9.598

2016：

• Z. Zhu, Q. Wu, G. Li, S. Han, T. Si and R. X. Xu*, Microfluidic fabrication of stimuli-responsive mi-crodroplets for acoustic and optical droplet vaporizations, Journal of Materials Chemistry B DOI: 10.1039/C1035TB02402A (2016). IF: 4.776

• Q. Gan, D. Wang, J. Ye, Z. Zhang, X. Wang, C. Hu, P. Shao and R. X. Xu*, Benchtop and Animal Validation of a Projective Imaging System for Potential Use in Intraoperative Surgical Guidance, PLoS One 11(7), e0157794 (2016). IF: 2.766

• Z. Zhang, J. Pei, D. Wang, Q. Gan, J. Ye, J. Yue, B. Wang, S. P. Povoski, E. W. Martin, Jr., C. L. Hitchcock, A. Yilmaz, M. F. Tweedle, P. Shao and R. X. Xu*, A Wearable Goggle Navigation System for Dual-Mode Optical and Ultrasound Localization of Suspicious Lesions: Validation Studies Using Tissue-Simulating Phantoms and an Ex Vivo Human Breast Tissue Model, PLoS One 11(7), e0157854 (2016). IF: 2.766

• P. Liu, J. Huang, S. Zhang and R. X. Xu*, Multiview hyperspectral topography of tissue structural and functional characteristics, J Biomed Opt 21(1), 16012 (2016). IF: 2.367

• T. Si, G. Li, Q. Wu, Z. Zhu, X. Luo and R. X. Xu*, Optical droplet vaporization of nanoparticle-loaded stimuli-responsive microbubbles, Applied Physics Letters 108(11), 111109 (2016). IF: 3.495

• T. Si, C. Yin, P. Gao, G. Li, H. Ding, X. He, B. Xie and R. X. Xu*, Steady cone-jet mode in compound-fluidic electro-flow focusing for fabricating multicompartment microcapsules, Applied Physics Letters 108), 021601 (2016). IF: 3.495

• J. Sun, M. Yin, S. Zhu, L. Liu, Y. Zhu, Z. Wang, R. X. Xu and S. Chang, Ultrasound-mediated destruction of oxygen and paclitaxel loaded lipid microbubbles for combination therapy in hypoxic ovarian cancer cells, Ultrasonics sonochemistry 28, p319-326 (2016)

• S. Chang, T. Si, S. Zhang, M. A. Merrick, D. E. Cohn and R. X. Xu*, Ultrasound mediated destruction of multifunctional microbubbles for image guided delivery of oxygen and drugs, Ultrasonics Sonochemistry 28, p31-38 (2016)