Dr. Xu obtained his Ph.D. of reproductive physiology from the University of Connecticut in 2002, where he studied animal cloning and telomere biology. As one of the first wave researchers adapting the gene editing tools in biomedical research, Dr. Xu has led multiple projects in generating novel preclinical animal models, including immunodeficient rabbits and cystic fibrosis rabbits at the University of Michigan. He has also made contributions to improve the gene editing tool. In one project, Dr. Xu and colleagues developed a novel Cas9 variant miCas9 that brings improved efficacy and safety to gene editing.