Xingde Li, PhD

Research Interests

Our research is dedicated to advancing cutting-edge neurophotonics and translational biophotonics technologies, which bridge engineering, fundamental research, and medical applications. This interdisciplinary approach integrates diverse fields, including optics, electrical engineering, micro-nano technology, biology, and clinical medicine. Our primary goal is to improve early disease detection, monitor treatment efficacy, and guide medical interventions. These technologies also pave the way for fundamental research, delving into disease mechanisms, brain function, biomarker discovery, and integrated diagnostics and therapy (theranostics). Our specific areas of focus include:

Technologies

• Optical Coherence Tomography (OCT)
• Two-photon Fiberscopy/Endomicroscopy
• Multimodal Imaging
• Mass Spectrometry Imaging
• AI-assisted Image Acquisition and Analysis

 Disease Diagnosis & Intervention Guidance

• Label-free and Noninvasive Optical Histology in vivo
• Intra-operative Guidance
• GI Tract (dysplasia and inflammation)
• Airway (cancer and COPD)
• Pre-term Birth Risk Assessment

Basic Research

• Functional Brain Imaging in Freely-behaving Animals

Titles

• Professor, Biomedical Engineering
• Professor, Electrical & Computer Engineering
• Professor, Oncology

Affiliated Centers & Institutes

• Carnegie Center for Surgical Innovation
• Kavli Neuroscience Discovery Institute

Education

• PhD, Physics and Biomedical Optics, University of Pennsylvania, 1998
• BS, Physics, University of Science and Technology of China, 1990

Recent Highlights

May 23, 2024

MAGIC: Pill-sized imaging capsule could be game-changer for catching esophageal cancer sooner

Hopkins researchers develop a "one-stop shop” capsule for diagnosing and treating Barrett's esophagus, a condition known to be a precursor to esophageal cancer.

• April 28, 2022
  From Blurry to Bright: AI Tech Helps Researchers Peer into the Brains of Mice
  Johns Hopkins biomedical engineers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) training strategy to capture images of mouse brain cells in...
• March 10, 2021
  Two researchers with ties to Hopkins BME earn grants through Bisciotti Foundation Translational Fund
  Two Johns Hopkins professors with ties to the Department of Biomedical Engineering have received grants for their research through the Bisciotti Foundation Translational Fund.
• February 8, 2018
  Lights, camera, action! New endomicroscopic probes visualize living animal cell activity
  Johns Hopkins researchers report they have developed two new endoscopic probes that significantly sharpen the technology’s imaging resolution and permit direct observation of fine tissue structures and cell activity in small organs in sheep, rats, and mice.

Media

One of our group’s projects was selected as a top research highlight in 2015 (beginning at 2:22).