Shili Xu

Shili Xu is an Associate Adjunct Professor in the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology at the University of California Los Angeles (UCLA). With a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences from the University of Southern California (2013) and dual B.S. degrees in Biological Sciences and Economics from Peking University (2007), Xu specializes in in vivo molecular imaging technologies including PET, SPECT, CT, MRI, and optical imaging.

• Ph.D., Pharmaceutical Sciences, University of Southern California (2013)
• B.S., Biological Sciences & Economics, Peking University (2007)

Xu's research focuses on non-invasive assessment of cancer, immune response, neurological disorders, and cardiovascular disease. Their team develops theranostic radiopharmaceuticals and preclinical imaging probes for applications in oncology, cardiology, and neurology, with emphasis on translational imaging and metabolic reprogramming in diseases.

Recent 2025 publications highlight breakthroughs in CT/fluorescence bacterial imaging, atherosclerosis monitoring with ¹⁸F tracers, and brain biomarker discovery for creatine transporter mutations. The Crump Seed Grant (2025) and Cancer Center Seed Grant (2024) support Xu's work on radiopharmaceutical delivery systems and mitochondrial imaging in neuroendocrine cancers.

Key scientific awards include the Society of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Alavi-Mandell Award (2020), US Department of Defense Horizon Award (2016), and multiple University of Southern California graduate research prizes (2013). Xu collaborates with UCLA's Crump Preclinical Imaging Technology Center and contributes to multidisciplinary studies in pancreatic cancer, lung cancer, and metabolic disorders.