About the Xiao Li Lab
Our Lab investigates cardiac homeostasis, injury, and repair across scales — from single-cell immune–stromal niches to the three-dimensional architecture of the genome. Our work sits at the intersection of cardiac immunology, epigenomics, and regenerative biology, with a translational focus on pediatric heart failure, heart transplantation, and congenital heart disease.
Since launching the lab in 2022, we have published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, Circulation, and Immunity. The lab is located in the Texas Heart Institute at Baylor College of Medicine and the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine.
We are always excited to work with curious and motivated graduate students, post-baccalaureate trainees, and postdoctoral scholars interested in molecular biology, genomics, cardiovascular biology, immunology, or computational biology. If you are interested in joining the lab, reach out to us
News
Xin Wang takes presentation award at AHA BCVS 2026
On July 12, 2026, in Boston, during the AHA Basic Cardiovascular Sciences Scientific Sessions, Dr. Xin Wang was awarded third place in the Academy of Cardiovascular Research Excellence (ACRE) oral abstract competition. Presenting on behalf of Dr. Chang-Ru Tsai and...
Welcome new PhD student Mark Returan
The lab welcomes Mark Returan as a new PhD student in the Genetics and Epigenetics Program of the UTHealth Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences. Mark’s previous research focused on genome stability and DNA repair biology. In the lab, he will...
New paper in Nature Cardiovascular Research: VAD unloading reverses microvascular senescence
Published in Nature Cardiovascular Research, our study with the Texas Heart Institute team examines why the systemic right ventricle fails in single-ventricle disease and shows that ventricular assist device–mediated mechanical unloading partially reverses cellular senescence in the failing heart, pointing...
Faculty appointment in the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics, Baylor College of Medicine
In 2025, the Department of Molecular and Human Genetics at Baylor College of Medicine welcomed Dr. Xiao Li as a new tenure-track primary research faculty member. Dr. Li continues as Assistant Investigator at the Texas Heart Institute, leading a multidisciplinary...