Email

xiao.li@bcm.edu

Positions

Assistant Professor

Department of Medicine
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States

Assistant Investigator

Texas Heart Institute at BCM
Baylor College of Medicine
Houston, Texas United States

Addresses

St Lukes Denton Cooley (SLDC) (Lab)

6770 Bertner Ave
Houston, TX 77030
United States
Phone: (832) 355-9488

Education

BS from East China Normal University

07/2008 - Shanghai, China

PhD from University of Iowa

12/2013 - Iowa City, Iowa United States

Postdoctoral Fellowship at University of California San Diego

12/2016 - La Jolla, California United States

Professional Interests

• Cardiovascular science
• Functional genomics
• Innate immunity

Professional Statement

My research focuses on transcriptional regulation, cardiac biology, and tissue innate immunity. Our lab, skilled in both wet and dry lab techniques, employs advanced technologies including single-cell multi-omics, machine learning, 3D genome architecture modeling, and a range of biochemical and imaging methods. My research is directed in three main areas:
1. Cardiac remodeling in heart failure: Pediatric heart failure frequently arises from congenital heart disease, and its progression is often irreversible. Despite advances in care, many patients ultimately require heart transplants, which still carry a high risk of graft failure. My research investigates the mechanisms driving tissue remodeling during heart failure progression and seeks strategies to improve transplant durability.
2. Innate immunity in regenerative repair: The tissue immune microenvironment is central to regenerative repair, shaping inflammation, remodeling, and healing processes. My lab studies the immune microenvironment of the heart, brain, and skin, focusing on cell–cell crosstalk that can be targeted to limit fibrosis and promote regeneration.
3. 3D genomics in cardiac regeneration: My research integrates multimodal data to study nuclear RNA–mediated transcriptional regulation. Using GRID-seq, a technology I developed during my training, we model enhancer–promoter interactomes in cardiac cells and explore the roles of chromatin-associated RNAs in cardiomyocyte biology, linking gene regulation to 3D chromatin dynamics.

Websites

Selected Publications

• Leonard R, Zhao Y, Eliason S, Zimmerman K, Batz A, Hatcher CJ, Weiss RM, Sweat M, Li X, Amendt BA "Single-nuclei multiomics analysis identifies abnormal cardiomyocytes in a murine model of cardiac development." Nat Commun. 2025 Jul; Pubmed PMID: 40721580
• Hand SM, Zhao Y, Li D, Burke S, Lim HW, Yester J, Garg V, Accornero F, Li X, Li D, Jang J "Loss of Methyltransferase and Hypomethylated m6A Sarcomere Transcripts Leading to Early-Onset Dilated Cardiomyopathy." Circulation. 2025 Jun; Pubmed PMID: 40489544
• Steimle JD, Zhao Y, Meng F, Taylor ME, Turaga D, Adachi I, Li X, Martin JF "Single-nuclei transcriptomics reveals TBX5-dependent targets in a patient with Holt-Oram syndrome." J Clin Invest. 2024 Nov; Pubmed PMID: 39541167
• Li X*#, Turaga D*, Li RG, Tsai C-R, Quinn JN, Zhao Y, Wilson R, Carlson K, Wang J, Spinner JA, Hickey EJ, Adachi I, Martin JF# (# Co-corresponding author) "The macrophage landscape across the lifespan of a human cardiac allograft." Circulation. 2024 May; Pubmed PMID: 38344825