Dr. Xu’s research has focused on the roles of genetic, biochemical risk factors, nutrition, and gene-environment interactions in obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and early cardiovascular disease. She is now the Principal Investigator of several National Natural Science Foundation of China, including “The mechanism of alternative splicing in pre-mRNA of ZnT-8 gene (SLC30A8)”, “The roles of QPCTL in adipose tissue development and body weight control”, and “Gene-environmental interactions in obesity and type 2 diabetes”, etc.

Genetic/lifestyle/nutrition Epidemiology of obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and early cardiovascular disease, Effect of gene-environment interactions in obesity, type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome and early cardiovascular disease