Research Assistant Professor

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ORCID iD: 0000-0003-1082-572X

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Research Interests

• Bioactive Materials for Tissue Repair and Clinical Translation
• High Entropy and Biomimetic Materials Design for Biological Applications
• Fascial System and Fascia-Targeting Treatments

Biography

Dr. Shunxiang Xu is currently a Research Assistant Professor in the Department of Orthopaedics and Traumatology (ORT), Faculty of Medicine, The University of Hong Kong (HKU). Dr. Xu earned his B.Eng. in Materials Science and Engineering in 2017, followed by an M.Sc. in Inorganic Chemistry in 2020. He then pursued his Ph.D. in the Department of ORT at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (CUHK) in 2023. After completing two years of postdoctoral training at CUHK, Dr. Xu joined HKU in April 2026. With an interdisciplinary background in materials science, chemistry, and biomedical engineering, Dr. Xu focuses on developing advanced biomaterials for tissue repair and regeneration. His research specifically investigates how functional biomaterials can modulate the immune system, vascularization, and neural networks to enhance healing in diabetic wounds and bone defects, covering the full spectrum from mechanistic discovery and innovative biomaterial design to clinical translation. Dr. Xu has published over 20 SCI-indexed papers in leading biomaterials journals (e.g., Interdisciplinary Materials, Advanced Functional Materials, ACS Nano, Biomaterials), holds 7 national invention patents, and has received prestigious honors including the Best Oral Presentation Award (SYIS) at TERMIS Asia-Pacific (2023), Special Merit Gold Prize at the Geneva International Exhibition of Inventions (2025), and Gold Prize at the Middle East International Invention Forum (2025). He has also secured competitive research grants, including the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Young Scientist Fund, 2024), the Guangdong Natural Science Foundation (General Program, 2024), the Hong Kong IdeaBooster Fund (2024-2025), and the ITC TSSSU & HKSTP Ideation Programme.

Five Representative Publications

• S.X. Xu^#, H. Shao^#, Z. Jin, J. Xu, F. Deng, Y. Zhang, L. Zhou, S. Ling, Congqin Ning*, Wenxue Tong*, Ling Qin*. Magnesium silicate composite patch with neurovascular regenerative properties promotes diabetic wound healing in mice. Interdisciplinary materials, 2025. (Q1; IF = 31.6)
• H.W. Shao^#, S.X. Xu^#, F. Zeng, Z. Jin, X. Ji, Z. Shan, J. Kang, Q. Tian, S. Zhang, Z. Mao, Y. Zhang, J. Xu, Wenxue Tong*, Ling Qin*. MOF-integrated nanoplatform orchestrates osteochondral-synovial homeostasis for osteoarthritis therapy. ACS Nano, 2025. (Q1; IF = 16.1)
• S.X. Xu^#, Y.T. Zhang^#, B.Y. Dai^#, J. Rao, F. Deng, S. Zhang, H. Shao, X. Li, Z. Jin, T. Liang, Y. Yang, Y. Li, Z. Chen, W. Tong, Jiankun Xu*, Congqin Ning*, Ling Qin*. Green-prepared magnesium silicate sprays enhance the repair of burn-skin wound and appendages regeneration in rats and minipigs. Advanced Functional Materials, 2023. (Q1; IF = 19.0)
• S.X. Xu^#, Q. Wu^#, B. He, J. Rao, D. Chow, J. Xu, X. Wang, Y. Sun, Congqin Ning*, Kerong Dai*. Interactive effects of cerium and copper to tune the microstructure of silicocarnotite bioceramics towards enhanced bioactivity and good biosafety. Biomaterials, 2022. (Q1; IF = 12.9)
• Q. Wu^#, S.X. Xu^#, X. Wang, B. Jia, Y. Han, Y. Zhuang, Y. Sun, Z. Sun, Y. Guo, H. Kou, Congqin Ning*, Kerong Dai*. Complementary and synergistic effects on osteogenic and angiogenic properties of copper-incorporated silicocarnotite bioceramic: In vitro and in vivo studies. Biomaterials, 2021. (Q1; IF = 12.9)

(*These authors equally shared corresponding authorship and # shared the 1st authorship)

Grants

• 2024-2025, IdeaBooster Fund 2024-25, 150,000 HKD, Principal Investigator
• 2025-2027, Young Scientists Fund of the National Natural Science Foundation of China, 300,000 CNY, Principal Investigator
• 2025-2027, Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province-General Program, 100,000 CNY, Principal Investigator
• 2025-2027, ITC Technology Start-up Support Scheme for Universities, First-year 300,000 HKD (To be supported for three years), Main drafter and co-investigator
• 2025-2026, HKSTP Ideation Programme, 100,000 HKD, Main drafter and co-investigator

[Updated on 6^th May 2026]