Xu, Nan
Assistant Professor
Fischell Department of Bioengineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Electrical and Computer Engineering
Dr. Nan Xu is an Assistant Professor in the Fischell Department of Bioengineering at the University of Maryland, College Park, with additional affiliations in the Department of Electrical & Computer Engineering and the Neuroscience & Cognitive Science Program. She leads the Imaging- and Neuro-computations for Precision Informatics Research (INSPIRE) Lab. Dr. Xu’s research integrates expertise in computational science, statistical learning, applied mathematics, neuroscience, and biomedical applications. Her current work focuses on developing advanced computational models and analyses of functional neuroimaging data to gain new insights into brain function, neurological diseases, and broader informatics applications.
Nan earned a B.S. in Electrical and Computer Engineering and a B.A. in Mathematics from the University of Rochester in 2011. She completed her M.Sc. (2015) and Ph.D. (2017) in Electrical and Computer Engineering at Cornell University, with minors in both Applied Mathematics and Cognitive Neuroscience. Her interdisciplinary postdoctoral experience includes a fellowship in Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering at Georgia Tech (2017-2018), a visiting scientist position at the McGovern Brain Institute at MIT (2022), and a postdoctoral fellowship in Biomedical Engineering at Georgia Tech and Emory University (2019-2024). Her research is currently supported by the NIH BRAIN Initiative K99/R00 award.
Our research resides at the intersection of data science and neuroscience. We develop advanced models and innovative data science methodologies to elucidate brain function, neurological disorders, and other biological processes. By leveraging multimodal functional neuroimaging data—including fMRI-BOLD, LFP, optical imaging, and MEG—from animal models, healthy individuals, and patients, we decode complex brain activities and diseases. This integrative approach aims to provide groundbreaking insights that advance both fundamental understanding and translational applications in brain science, informatics, and beyond.
Research Interests
- Computational Neuroimaging & Neuroscience
- Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics
- Functional Brain Dynamics
Research Methods:
- Computational Modeling
- Deep/Statistical/Machine Learning
- Scientific Computing
- Dynamical Systems Analysis
- Neuroimaging
Eleven University of Maryland Faculty Affiliate With MATRIX Lab
Group will expand current work on autonomous systems researchBrick by Brick: The Clark School Celebrates LGBTQ+ Engineers
At Maryland Engineering, we celebrate the diversity of experiences, stories, and contributions among our community of innovators.New Faculty Spotlight: Alex Xu
BIOE welcomes Alex Xu as an Assistant Professor starting July 29th.79 Undergrads Recognized at Annual Honors & Awards Celebration
Maryland Engineering honored 79 undergraduates who exemplify the college's commitment to excellence at this year's ceremony event, held April 29 in the Stamp Student Union. Five were recognized with Dean's Awards.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.Hu Develops Eco-Friendly Process for Natural Bamboo Composite
The new bioadhesion strategy would pave the way for more structural applications.Israeli Embassy and BIRD Foundation host UMD Energy Consortium
UMD Professor Paul Albertus a Keynote SpeakerMark Austin is PI for new DoD Minerva Research Initiative project
He is using a 'System-of-Systems" approach to understand, model, synthesize and optimize the operations of large-scale, distributed institutions and organizations.NAMRI Honors Jay Lee With Outstanding Paper Award
UMD professor’s work could help spur use of blockchain in manufacturing.Engineering Excellence: Undergrads Recognized at Annual Celebration
Maryland Engineering honored 70 undergraduates who exemplify the college’s commitment to excellence at this year’s ceremony event, held May 10 in the Stamp Student Union. Five were recognized with Dean’s Awards.The End of an Era
FPE Chair, Jim Milke, retires, leaving some very large boots to fill.Sochol Named “Rising Star” in Advanced Materials Technologies
UMD faculty member Ryan Sochol recognized in journal's March 10th issue.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 IndustryCombating 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.Sarker Is Runner-Up for Springer Nature Best Paper Award
UMD, UMSOM recognized for breakthrough that opens the door for stem cell microinjections into the brain.Maryland Engineering Recognizes Undergraduate Excellence
This year, Maryland Engineering honors 69 undergraduates who exemplify the college’s commitment to excellence; five are recognized with Dean’s Awards.UMD top ranked U.S. university for solid-state battery research publications
Elsevier study indicates UMD has highest publication citation index globallyUMD 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.UMD Battery Technology Highlighted in Technical.ly
Maryland based battery company bringing UMD tech to marketStudent Researchers Recognized with Wylie Dissertation Fellowships
Fourteen Clark School students pursuing their Ph.D.s in engineering have been awarded Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowships by the University of Maryland Graduate School.Engineering Undergrads Recognized for Excellence
This year, the Clark School honors 70 undergraduates who exemplify the college’s commitment to excellence; five are recognized with Dean’s Awards.AquaLith Advanced Materials Licenses Lithium-Ion Battery Technology Developed at University of Maryland
Technology is based on the work of Prof. Chunsheng Wang in the A. James Clark School of EngineeringToday’s Trailblazers to be Honored as 2021 Taking Nature Black Environmental Champions
ChBE Professor Akua Asa-Awuku recognized as a regional champion.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.UMD Aero Students Awarded Patti Grace Smith Fellowship
Alexis Burris, Kirk “KJ” Mclean and Elias Hailu Daniel have been selected for the newly-launched program.Doyenne Reliability Engineering Program
A fellowship for Mozambican women to pursue graduate education in Reliability Engineering at UMDCREB Kicks Off 2021 with Meeting to Discuss Future of Battery Research
The virtual meeting aimed to bolster battery technology under extreme conditions.Waging War on Metastatic Cancer
BIOE Professor Xiaoming He and his research team take a new approach to understand why cancers spread.14 Mtech-affiliated companies named to Maryland’s list of 20 hottest innovative start-ups
Maryland’s Future 20 is a list of startups that have the potential to be the state’s next major business success story.Honoring a Legend: Remember Former Dean George Dieter
It's with a heavy heart that we inform you of the passing of George Dieter, professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, Glenn L. Martin Institute Professor of Engineering, and dean of the A. James Clark School of Engineering from 1977–94.$100,000 investment from Amazon to power Clark School initiatives in diversity, robotics research and education
Beneficiaries include two Ph.D. fellowships in robotics, the Center for Minorities in Science and Engineering, a robotics capstone course, the Black Engineers Society and the Society of Professional Hispanic Engineers.Clark School Undergraduate Programs Move Up in U.S. News & World Report Rankings
The Clark School moved up three spots, to No. 22 from 25 nationally, among undergraduate engineering programs in U.S. News & World Report’s 2021 Best Colleges report released today. The Clark School ranks as No. 12 among public institutions.UMD Team Takes a Top Spot in NASA RASC-AL Design Competition
Four University of Maryland teams competed in this year’s NASA 2020 Revolutionary Aerospace Systems Concepts – Academic Linkage (RASC-AL) competition.BIOE Capstone Class Virtually Presents 24 Novel Projects
BIOE seniors present Capstone projects and celebrate winners virtually.2020 Undergraduate Honors and Awards
Sixty-eight undergraduate students from the A. James Clark School of Engineering were recognized with 2020 Annual Engineering Honors and Awards.UMD Launches Center for Materials Innovation
Research center, led by Liangbing Hu, will use innovative materials development to solve the world’s most pressing problems.Brain and Behavior Initiative Hosts 3rd Annual Seed Grant Symposium
Researchers from across UMD convene to discuss the latest projects funded by BBI