Libin Xu

Libin Xu is an Associate Professor in the Department of Medicinal Chemistry at the University of Washington School of Pharmacy. His research program lies at the interface of Organic Chemistry, Molecular and Cellular Biology, and Mass Spectrometry. He directs the Xu Lab, which focuses on understanding the mechanisms of lipid oxidation and metabolism and their roles in human diseases. Dr. Xu is also an Adjunct Associate Professor of Environmental and Occupational Health Sciences at the University of Washington.

His primary research interests include mechanisms and products of lipid oxidation, cholesterol biosynthesis disorders (particularly Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome), effects of drugs on lipid metabolism, metabolomics and lipidomics using ion mobility-mass spectrometry, lipid metabolism in neurodevelopment, and mechanisms of antibiotic resistance. His lab aims to develop interventions that could ameliorate or reverse adverse effects of disrupted lipid homeostasis and oxidized lipids, and to elucidate the contribution of altered lipid metabolism to antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens.

Analysis of his recent publications reveals a strong focus on quaternary ammonium compounds (particularly benzalkonium chlorides), antibiotic resistance mechanisms in Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus faecalis, lipid peroxidation mechanisms in ferroptosis, and the role of lipid metabolism in neurodevelopmental disorders like Smith-Lemli-Opitz syndrome. His work increasingly integrates advanced analytical techniques with biological and clinical applications.

• NIH Pathway to Independence Award from NICHD (2012)
• Young Investigator Award from the Society for Free Radical Biology and Medicine (2011)
• School of Pharmacy Faculty Innovation Fund (2016, inaugural recipient with Prof. Brian Werth)
• School of Pharmacy Faculty Innovation Fund (2020, with Dr. Edward Kelly)

Dr. Xu has successfully mentored numerous graduate students including Dylan Ross, Josi Herron, Amy Li, Tianwei Shen, Quynh Do, Vanessa Lopez, and Emily Pruitt. His research has been supported by various grants that have enabled his lab to develop novel methodologies for lipid analysis using ion mobility-mass spectrometry and to investigate the biological consequences of lipid oxidation and metabolism in disease contexts.

The Xu Lab maintains active collaborations with other research groups at the University of Washington and beyond, particularly in the areas of antibiotic resistance, lipidomics, and neurodevelopmental disorders. The lab has developed specialized expertise in ion mobility-mass spectrometry for lipid and metabolite analysis, which has become a cornerstone of their research approach.