Xiao Xu, PhD

Xiao Xu, PhD, is a health services researcher with expertise in health economics and outcomes research on women’s health and healthcare. She is an associate professor in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology and a member of the Herbert Irving Comprehensive Cancer Center (HICCC) at Columbia University Irving Medical Center (CUIMC).

Dr. Xu seeks to promote the delivery of high-quality and high-value care by studying factors that influence access, utilization, outcomes, and costs of care, with a particular focus on women’s healthcare. Her research involves the use of both real-world data (claims/administrative databases, cancer registry data) and modeling/simulations, and applies both quantitative and qualitative methods to address critical clinical questions. Dr. Xu’s current research studies racial disparity in early diagnosis of uterine cancer, patient and provider decision-making regarding salpingectomy use for ovarian cancer risk reduction, hospital variation in obstetric practice, and comparative and cost effectiveness of maternity, newborn, and gynecologic interventions. These studies help inform efforts to improve the safety, equity, and value of care we provide for women.

Dr. Xu has served as a principal investigator or co-investigator on multiple research grants funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ), and various research foundations. She has authored over 160 research articles. Dr. Xu is also actively involved in the teaching of medical students, clinical residents/fellows, and postgraduate/postdoctoral fellows. She mentors trainees on research projects, and lectures on study design and methodology, data collection/analysis, and cost effectiveness evaluation. Dr. Xu received her PhD in economics (with a concentration in health economics) from Wayne State University in Detroit, MI. She is a member of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, AcademyHealth, the International Health Economics Association, and the Gerontological Society of America.