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Ying Xian, M.D.,  Ph.D.

Ying Xian, M.D., Ph.D.

Section Head Research, Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases

Associate Professor

School
Medical School
Department
Neurology
  • Biography

    Joined UT Southwestern: 2021

    Ying Xian, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

    Research: For more than a decade, Dr. Xian’s research has been focused on improving healthcare quality and outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease and stroke. Before joining the UT Southwestern faculty in 2021, Dr. Xian served as the clinical lead for the AHA/ASA Get With The Guidelines Stroke (GWTG-Stroke) Registry and Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) National Database Analytical Center at Duke. He has led multiple groundbreaking comparative effectiveness and patient-centered outcomes research projects, with extensive experience with large national registries and data linkage with Medicare claims.

    Dr. Xian has authored or co-authored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and ranks among the World's Top 2% Scientists in clinical medicine by Stanford/Elsevier. He is the Principal Investigator of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) funded R01s to evaluate antithrombotic therapy for secondary stroke prevention and post-stroke dementia, and the AHA Clinical Research Program and Scientist Development Grant to investigate off-label/off-guideline thrombolytic therapy in stroke.

    Affiliations & Awards: He has been recognized for his research through the AHA QCOR Young Investigator Award and the Northwestern Junior Faculty Clinical Research Award. Dr. Xian has served on multiple committees of the AHA/ASA, including the GWTG Quality Improvement Subcommittee, Stroke Systems of Care Advisory Group, Stroke Council’s Quality and Outcomes Committee, Quality of Care and Outcomes Research (QCOR) Council’s Young Clinicians & Investigators Committee, and GWTG-Stroke Clinical Work Group. 

    Background: Dr. Xian earned his medical degree at Beijing Medical University (Peking University Health Science Center), completed a residency in Internal Medicine, and a fellowship in Cardiology at Peking University People’s Hospital, and Fuwai Hospital, Peking Union Medical College. Dr. Xian obtained his Ph.D. degree in Health Services Research and Policy at the University of Rochester and received the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association (AHA/ASA) Pharmaceutical Roundtable-Spina Fellowship training in Cardiovascular Outcomes Research at Duke University. 

  • Research Interest
    • Cardiovascular disease
    • Cognitive impairment and dementia
    • Comparative effectiveness research
    • Global health
    • Health services research
    • Outcomes research
    • Patient-centered outcomes research
    • Primary and secondary prevention
    • Quality improvement
    • Stroke
  • Publications

    Star Featured Publications

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  • Books

    Featured 

    Data Resources. In Understanding Clinical Research

    Renato Lopes and Robert Harrington (2013). McGraw-Hill Education / Medical

  • Honors & Awards
    • 2nd Place Winner, Junior Faculty Clinical Category Young Investigator Research Award
      12th Annual Northwestern Cardiovascular Young Investigators' Forum (2016)
    • Fellow
      American Heart Association (2016)
    • Travel Award
      International Stroke Conference (2016)
    • Distinguished Clinical Research Achievement Award
      Clinical Research Forum. Fonarow GC, Zhao X, Smith EE, Saver JL, Reeves MJ, Bhatt DL, Xian Y, Hernandez AF, Peterson ED, and Schwamm LH. Door-to-needle times for tissue plasminogen activator administration and clinical outcomes in acute ischemic stroke before and after a quality improvement initiative. JAMA. 2014, 311(16), 1632-1640 (2015)
    • 2nd Place Winner, Junior Faculty Clinical Track
      10th Annual Northwestern Cardiovascular Young Investigators' Forum (2014)
    • Young Investigator Finalist
      American Heart Association Epidemiology and Prevention|Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Scientific Sessions (2011)
    • Young Investigator Award
      American Heart Association Quality of Care and Outcomes Research Interdisciplinary Council (2010)
    • Bertram Scott Research Fellow
      American Heart Association Founders Affiliate (2008)
    • Predoctoral Fellowship
      American Heart Association Founders Affiliate (2008)
    • Excellus Fellowship in Health Services Research and Policy
      Excellus BCBS (2005)
    • Dean's Fellowship
      University of Rochester (2003)
  • Professional Associations/Affiliations
    • African Stroke Organization (2021)
    • Alzheimer's Association (2024)
    • American Heart Association (2007)
    • European Stroke Organisation (2018)
    • Gerontological Society of America (2021)
    • World Stroke Organization (2019)