Main Research Areas
1. Life-course epidemiology of developmental and behavioral disorders in children
2. Cohort and clinical studies on specific developmental and behavioral disorders in children
3. Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (DOHaD) related to childhood developmental and behavioral disorders
4. Assessment and intervention of factors affecting mother-infant interaction quality
5. Women's and children's health
Selected for the National Innovative Talent Program for Young Scholars. Engaged in outpatient and research work on developmental and behavioral disorders in children. Currently head of the Child Development and Behavior Center at the First Affiliated Hospital of USTC.
Holds a multidisciplinary background in medicine, epidemiology, child and adolescent health, maternal and child health, developmental psychology, and behavioral analysis therapy. Graduated in 2006 from Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, with dual degrees in preventive medicine and English. Earned a master's degree in child and adolescent health and maternal and child health from Sun Yat-sen University in 2009. Worked at Guangzhou Women and Children's Medical Center from 2009 to 2011. Obtained a master's degree in developmental psychology from George Mason University in 2014 and a Ph.D. in epidemiology from the University of Iowa in 2020. Conducted postdoctoral research on developmental and behavioral disorders at the University of Iowa's Department of Pediatrics from 2020 to 2021. Certified Behavior Analyst by the American Association for Behavior Analysis and registered in Iowa. Holds clinical qualifications for infant-parent interaction assessment and classroom quality observation for preschool children.
Research focuses on the epidemiology and clinical study of developmental and behavioral disorders in children, examining causes, early life risk factors, long-term health outcomes, and prevention interventions through the lenses of the life course health development theory and the biopsychosocial model. Published multiple papers as first or corresponding author in journals such as JAMA, BMJ, JAMA Pediatrics, JAMA Network Open, American Journal of Preventive Medicine, and Health Psychology.
Representative Papers
- Li Q, Li Y, Liu B, Chen S, Xing X, Xu G*, Yang W*.(co-corresponding author) Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among Children and Adolescents in the United States From 2019 to 2020. JAMA Pediatr. 2022;176(9):943-945.
- Xu G, Snetselaar LG, Strathearn L, Ryckman K, Nothwehr F, Torner J. Association between history of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder diagnosis and cardiovascular disease in US adults. Health Psychology. 2022;41(10):693-700.
- Xu G, Snetselaar LG, Strathearn L, Ryckman K, Nothwehr F, Torner J. Association of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder with e-cigarette use. Am J Prev Med. 2021;60(4):488-496.
- Xu G, Strathearn L, Liu B, O'Brien M, Kopelman TG, Zhu J, Snetselaar LG, Bao W. Prevalence and treatment patterns of autism spectrum disorder in the United States, 2016. JAMA Pediatr. 2019;173(2):153-159.
- Xu G, Strathearn L, Liu B, Yang B, Bao W. Twenty-Year Trends in Diagnosed Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder Among US Children and Adolescents, 1997-2016. JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(4):e181471.
- Xu G, Strathearn L, Liu B, Bao W. Prevalence of Autism Spectrum Disorder Among US Children and Adolescents, 2014-2016. JAMA. 2018;319(1):81-82.
- Xu G, Snetselaar LG, Jing J, Liu B, Strathearn L, Bao W. Association of Food Allergy and Other Allergic Conditions With Autism Spectrum Disorder in Children. JAMA Netw Open. 2018;1(2):e180279.
- Xu G, Liu B, Sun Y, Du Y, Snetselaar LG, Hu FB, Bao W. Prevalence of diagnosed type 1 and type 2 diabetes among US adults in 2016 and 2017: population based study. BMJ. 2018;362:k1497.
Recruitment
The research group is recruiting postdoctoral researchers and special associate researchers with backgrounds in medicine, biology, or mental health. Preference for those familiar with epidemiology, statistics, or biomarker detection methods, and with experience in large cohort studies or randomized controlled trials.
Contact Information
Email: xguifeng365@ustc.edu.cn