Xu is a final-year PhD candidate at the University of Auckland, researching the pathogenesis of osteoarthritis under the supervision of Dr. Raewyn Poulsen. Specifically, their research investigates whether primary cells, such as chondrocytes and osteoblasts, isolated from different joint sites, biological sexes, and disease stages exhibit distinct marker gene and protein expression profiles. Furthermore, they aim to determine whether these distinct cell populations respond differently to Wnt signaling ligands, aiming to uncover context-dependent mechanisms that could inform targeted therapeutics. His background as a medical doctor (MBBS) and junior orthopedic surgeon provides invaluable clinical insight for his PhD research.