Faculty Directory

Xu, Nan

Xu, Nan

Assistant Professor
Fischell Department of Bioengineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Brain and Behavior Institute
3218 A. James Clark Hall
Website(s):

Dr. Nan Xu is an Assistant Professor in the ​Fischell Department of Bioengineering and the Brain and Behavior Institute at the University of Maryland, College Park, with affliate appointments in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and the Edward and Jennifer St. John Center for Translational Engineering and Medicine, and graduate program affliations in the Neuroscience & Cognitive Science (NACS), Biophysics, and Applied Mathematics & Statistics, and Scientific Computation (AMSC). She leads the Imaging- and Neuro-computations for Precision Informatics Research (INSPIRE) Lab. 

Education

  • Ph.D., Electrical and Computer Engineering, Cornell University, 2017  - Minors: Applied Mathematics and Cognitive Neuroscience
  • B.S., Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Rochester, 2011
  • B.A., Mathematics, University of Rochester, 2011 - Minor: Music

Professional Training

  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Biomedical Engineering, Georgia Tech and Emory University, 2019–2024
  • Visiting Scientist, McGovern Institute for Brain Research at MIT, 2022
  • Postdoctoral Fellow, Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, Georgia Tech, 2017–2018

Professional Memberships

  • Organization for Human Brain Mapping (OHBM)
  • Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE)
  • Society for Neuroscience (SfN)

Selected Honors and Awards

  • NIH BRAIN Initiative K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, 2023
  • Sigma Xi Scientific Research Honor Society, 2026
  • EMBS Student Paper Competition Finalist, 2016
  • “Top 10%” Paper Recognition, IEEE International Conference on Image Processing, 2015
  • Goldman Sachs & Co. Scholarship, 2011–2012
  • ECE Faculty Award, University of Rochester, 2011
  • Phi Beta Kappa, 2011

    • BIOE689N/NACS728Z: Network Neuroscience and Brain Dynamic Analysis.
    • BIOE241: Biocomputational Methods. 

     

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    BIOE Announces Spring 2026 Instructional Impact Awards

    Three BIOE instructors recognized for the meaningful impact they make supporting and inspiring BIOE students inside and outside the classroom.

    BIOE Students Recognized for Innovative Healthcare Solutions at 2026 Capstone Design Expo

    BIOE and BCE students won top honors at the 2026 Capstone Expo for patient care tech innovations.

    Four BIOE Students Named 2026 NSF Graduate Research Fellows

    Four BIOE students selected for the 2026 National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program.

    BIOE Students Earn Top Honors for Health Innovation at 2025 Capstone Expo

    BIOE and BCE students showcased innovative health tech solutions at the 2025 Capstone Design Expo.

    New Faculty Spotlight: Nan Xu

    BIOE welcomes Nan Xu as an Assistant Professor

    Bentley, Sochol Groups Win Best Paper Award at IEEE MEMS

    UMD engineers awarded for 3D nanoprinting strategy that opens the door for new organ-on-a-chip applications.

    Brick by Brick: The Clark School Celebrates LGBTQ+ Engineers

    At Maryland Engineering, we celebrate the array of experiences, stories, and contributions among our community of innovators.  

    BIOE Announces 2024 Fischell Fellows at EPIC Retreat

    Two BIOE Ph.D. students were named Fischell Fellows at the seventh annual EPIC Retreat.

    New Faculty Spotlight: Alex Xu

    BIOE welcomes Alex Xu as an Assistant Professor starting July 29th.

    Bioengineering Celebrates Undergraduate Excellence

    9 BIOE students received awards during annual Undergraduate Honors and Awards ceremony

    Agents of Positive Change: Highlighting Women Maryland Engineers

    In celebration of Women's History Month, we highlight some of the important contributions of women engineers within our campus community.

    Maryland Engineering Ranks Among the Nation’s Top 20 Undergraduate Engineering Programs

    The A. James Clark School of Engineering ranks 19 overall among more than 200 undergraduate engineering programs—up three positions from its previous undergraduate ranking.

    Maryland Engineers Awarded Grants to Address Humanity's Grand Challenges

    Twelve projects led by or involving Maryland Engineering faculty have been awarded funding through the Grand Challenges Grants Program, the largest and most comprehensive program of its kind ever introduced at the University of Maryland.

    "This Is Where It's At"

    U.S. Commerce Secretary's Visit Highlights Importance of UMD, Higher Ed to Future of Domestic Electronics Industry

    Combating Metastatic Cancer Through Blood Draw

    University of Maryland bioengineers develop a new technique to efficiently capture, gently release, and effectively scale up circulating tumor cells, a leading culprit in cancer spread.

    BIOE Capstone Competition Highlights 24 Novel Projects

    The Bioengineering Senior Capstone Design competition returned to in-person on Monday, May 2.

    UMD Welcomes A. James Clark Scholars Class of ’25

    Maryland Engineering welcomes 10 exceptional young engineers from across the state of Maryland as its newest class of A. James Clark Scholars.

    Sochol Receives Early Career Award from the Journal of Micromechanics and Microengineering

    Inaugural award recognizes outstanding research contribution from a scientist in the early stage of their research career.

    BIOE Capstone Projects Focus on Medical Devices, AI, and More

    BIOE seniors present 23 novel Capstone projects live via Gatherly.

    Maryland Graduate Engineering Ranked #10 Public in the Nation

    From extreme batteries to windows made from wood, Clark School’s trendsetting work ranks it among the country’s Top 10 public engineering schools for the 3rd consecutive year.

    Waging War on Metastatic Cancer

    BIOE Professor Xiaoming He and his research team take a new approach to understand why cancers spread.

    BIOE Capstone Class Virtually Presents 24 Novel Projects

    BIOE seniors present Capstone projects and celebrate winners virtually.

    2020 BIOE Undergraduate Award Recipients

    Nine BIOE students were honored with departmental and college awards.

    Advisory Board Member Dr. Pinchuk Speaking at AIMBE Annual Event

    The event takes place March 29-30, 2020 in Washington, D.C. 

    Four BIOE Students Named NSF Graduate Research Fellows

    Students recognized for research in immunoengineering, regenerative medicine, and more.

    Study Outlines Targeted Treatment Option for Aggressive Breast Cancer

    Research team explores nanotechnology-based therapeutic strategy for triple-negative breast cancer.

    Research Team Develops Breakthrough Technique to Combat Cancer Drug Resistance

    BIOE professor Xiaoming "Shawn" He is working with collaborators around the world to advance cancer therapy research.

    BioE Capstone 2013: New Products Focus on Diagnostics, Physical Therapy and More

    Students' inventions address needs ranging from home care to ICU.

    Bone Regeneration Research Receives 5-Year NIH Funding

    Fisher, Xu explore regeneration of dental tissues.

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