Wanli Xu

Ph.D., RN

Assistant Professor

Assistant Director, Biobehavioral Research Lab

She/Her/Hers

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Dr. Wanli Xu’s program of research focuses on understanding the mechanisms and trajectories of pain and co-occurring symptoms, including fatigue and sleep disturbance, among individuals with chronic pain and cancer survivorship. Grounded in symptom science, her work integrates biopsychosocial mechanisms to characterize symptom phenotypes and identify modifiable targets for intervention.

Her research has been supported by competitive internal and foundation funding, enabling longitudinal investigations of pain and symptom trajectories and exploratory analyses of biologic correlates relevant to symptom burden. Findings from these studies have resulted in peer-reviewed publications and have informed subsequent externally focused research aimed at precision symptom management. Her program also includes the development and evaluation of scalable, nurse-led self-management interventions, including web-based and technology-supported approaches designed to improve access to evidence-based pain management strategies.

Through interdisciplinary collaboration, Dr. Xu’s work advances nonpharmacologic, patient-centered approaches to pain and symptom management and aligns with national priorities in symptom science and self-management research. She mentors undergraduate and graduate students and welcomes trainees interested in chronic pain, cancer-related symptoms, symptom trajectories, and innovative self-management interventions.

Research/Scholarship Interests

• Chronic pain and associated psychoneurological symptoms
• Cancer survivorship and treatment-related burden
• Biopsychosocial mechanisms of pain (microbiome–inflammation pathways, transcriptomic changes)
• Non-pharmacological interventions (Mind-body, Self-management)
• Health Equity

Education

• Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Connecticut
• Ph.D., Nursing, University of Connecticut
• BSN, University of Connecticut
• M.D., Qingdao University Medical School

Honors & Awards

• 2021 – Institute for Collaboration on Health, Intervention, and Policy InCHIP Seed Grant
• 2021 – UConn School of Nursing Dean’s Award
• 2020 – Co-Investigator, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health R01AT010555
• 2019 – Oncology Nursing Society Foundation RE01 Research Grant
• 2018 – Pilot Research Grant, National Institute of Nursing Research P20NR016605
• 2018 – Small Research Grant, National Association of Neonatal Nurses
• 2018 – Carolyn Ladd Widmer Award for Outstanding Research, UConn School of Nursing
• 2018 – 2nd Place PhD Peer-Reviewed Poster Award, Eastern Nursing Research Society
• 2017 – Awardee, Graduate Assistance in Areas of National Need Fund.
• 2016 – Awardee, American Nurses Foundation

Selected Publications

Curriculum Vitae