Prof. Dr. Xiang Li: Professor at Fudan University at China
Prof. Dr. Xiang Li is a distinguished environmental chemist and full professor at the Department of Environmental Science and Engineering, Fudan University. He leads a multidisciplinary research team focused on integrating analytical chemistry, environmental health, and medical diagnostics. His pioneering work in developing non-invasive breath biopsy technologies has made significant contributions to early disease detection, particularly cancers such as colorectal, gastric, and brain. With over 100 high-impact publications and more than 15 million CNY in research funding, Prof. Li is recognized nationally and internationally for his innovation and leadership in atmospheric chemistry and environmental health.
Research Profile
- Scopus Profile
- Research Citations:
- 2,653 citations across 2,332 documents
Research Outputs:
- 102 Documents published
h-index:
- 33 (h-index measures productivity and citation impact of the author’s publications)
Education
Prof. Li earned his Ph.D. in Environmental Science and Engineering from Fudan University. He further expanded his expertise during a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Waterloo, Canada, where he worked under Prof. Janusz Pawliszyn, a world authority on solid-phase microextraction (SPME). His training combined advanced analytical chemistry with applied environmental research, laying the foundation for his later innovations in breathomics and pollutant monitoring.
Research Focus
Prof. Li’s research lies at the intersection of atmospheric chemistry, environmental exposure science, and clinical diagnostics. His main focus is on the analysis of exhaled volatile organic compounds (VOCs) to identify disease-specific biomarkers. Using self-developed high-precision VOC detection platforms and standardized breath sampling protocols, he integrates multi-omics and artificial intelligence algorithms to develop disease risk models and personalized breath profiles. Additionally, his work addresses key environmental issues such as air organic pollution, oxidative potential of PM2.5, and the environmental fate of emerging pollutants and carbon cycles under extreme climate conditions.
Experience
Prof. Li has been a faculty member at Fudan University since 2006, rising through the ranks from Assistant to Full Professor. Between 2008–2009, he completed a postdoc at the University of Waterloo in Canada and served as a visiting scholar at TROPOS, Germany, from 2014–2015. His research team collaborates extensively with both academic institutions and industry, particularly Agilent Technologies, to develop new environmental sampling and detection technologies. His teaching spans analytical chemistry, environmental toxicology, and air pollution science.
Research Timeline
From 2006 to 2011, Prof. Li established his research foundation as an Assistant Professor, focusing on aerosol chemistry and VOC sampling. From 2011 to 2016, as an Associate Professor, he expanded his research into health impacts of pollution and built international collaborations, including a key project with TROPOS. Since 2016, he has led major national and international projects on breathomics, exhaled biomarkers, and oxidative potential of particles, supported by multiple NSFC grants. He continues to advance the frontiers of environmental diagnostics and early disease detection technologies.
Awards & Honors
Prof. Li has received multiple grants from the National Natural Science Foundation of China (NSFC), including key Sino-German collaboration funding. He has also won research innovation awards from Agilent Technologies under their Applications and Core Technology University Research (ACT-UR) program. He serves as a reviewer for Environmental Science & Technology, Atmospheric Environment, Science of the Total Environment, and other leading journals. His scientific contributions have earned him recognition in the environmental and medical research communities, including invitations to speak at international conferences and workshops.
Top-Noted Publication
Zhang, Z. et al., PNAS Nexus, 2022 – This landmark study, led by Prof. Li, investigated the unexpected rise in surface ozone levels in China following reductions in nitrogen oxides (NOx). Using advanced atmospheric modeling and field data, the research attributed the increase to accelerated VOC oxidation, providing new insight into the complex chemistry of ozone formation. The findings have profound implications for air quality management policies in rapidly industrializing regions and have been widely cited in environmental policy discussions and academic research.
1. The interplay of Brown carbon (BrC) surrogates and copper: Implications for the oxidative potential of ambient particles
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Authors: D. Wu, Haonan Wu, Yan Lyu, Xiang Li, Xiaobing Pang
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Journal: Journal of Hazardous Materials
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Year: 2024
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Citations: 1
2. Nitrate pollution deterioration in winter driven by surface ozone increase
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Authors: Zekun Zhang, Bingqing Lu, Chao Liu, Jianmin Chen, Xiang Li
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Journal: Npj Climate and Atmospheric Science
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Year: 2024
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Citations: 8
3. Advancing Breathomics through Accurate Discrimination of Endogenous from Exogenous Volatiles in Breath
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Authors: Zhengnan Cen, Yuerun Huang, Shangzhewen Li, Wenshan Wang, Xiang Li
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Journal: Environmental Science and Technology
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Year: 2024
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Citations: 2
4. High-level HONO exacerbates double high pollution of O3 and PM2.5 in China
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Authors: Chao Liu, Bingqing Lu, Qian Wang, Hartmut Herrmann, Xiang Li
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Journal: Science of the Total Environment
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Year: 2024
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Citations: 2
5. Comparative study of atmospheric brown carbon at Shanghai and the East China Sea: Molecular characterization and optical properties
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Authors: Dongmei Cai, Chunlin Li, Jingxin Lin, Xiang Li, Jianmin Chen
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Journal: Science of the Total Environment
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Year: 2024
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Citations: 7