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

Ying Xian, M.D., Ph.D., FAHA, is a tenured Associate Professor in the Department of Neurology, with a secondary appointment in the Department of Population and Data Science at UT Southwestern Medical Center.

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 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. 

For more than a decade, Dr. Xian’s research has been focused on improving health care quality and outcomes in patients with cardiovascular disease and stroke. Prior to 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 experiences with large national registry and data linkage with Medicare claims.

Dr. Xian is the Principal Investigator of two National Institute on Aging (NIA) funded R01s to evaluate the safety and efficacy of antithrombotic therapy for secondary stroke prevention and the AHA Clinical Research Program and Scientist Development Grant to investigate off-label/off-guideline thrombolytic therapy in stroke. 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. Dr. Xian has authored or coauthored over 200 peer-reviewed publications and has been recognized for his research through the AHA QCOR Young Investigator Award and the Northwestern Junior Faculty Clinical Research Award.

• 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

Featured Publications

Traditional Chinese Medicine Compound (Tongxinluo) and Clinical Outcomes of Patients With Acute Myocardial Infarction: The CTS-AMI Randomized Clinical Trial.

Yang Y, Li X, Chen G, Xian Y, Zhang H, Wu Y, Yang Y, Wu J, Wang C, He S, Wang Z, Wang Y, Wang Z, Liu H, Wang X, Zhang M, Zhang J, Li J, An T, Guan H, Li L, Shang M, Yao C, Han Y, Zhang B, Gao R, Peterson ED, JAMA 2023 Oct 330 16 1534-1545

Vitamin K Antagonists and Intracranial Hemorrhage After Endovascular Thrombectomy-Reply.

Mac Grory B, Xian Y, JAMA 2023 Oct 330 15 1490-1491

Recent Vitamin K Antagonist Use and Intracranial Hemorrhage After Endovascular Thrombectomy for Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Mac Grory B, Holmes DN, Matsouaka RA, Shah S, Chang CWJ, Rison R, Jindal J, Holmstedt C, Logan WR, Corral C, Mackey JS, Gee JR, Bonovich D, Walker J, Gropen T, Benesch C, Dissin J, Pandey H, Wang D, Unverdorben M, Hernandez AF, Reeves M, Smith EE, Schwamm LH, Bhatt DL, Saver JL, Fonarow GC, Peterson ED, Xian Y, JAMA 2023 Jun 329 23 2038-2049

To Treat or Not to Treat: Low-Dose Alteplase for Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke Taking Direct Oral Anticoagulants Within 24?Hours.

Kam W, Xian Y, J Am Heart Assoc 2022 Sep e027238

Analysis of Prescriptions for Dual Antiplatelet Therapy After Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Xian Y, Xu H, Matsouaka R, Laskowitz DT, Maisch L, Hannah D, Smith EE, Fonarow GC, Bhatt DL, Schwamm LH, Mac Grory B, Feng W, Fosbøl EL, Peterson ED, Johnson M, JAMA Netw Open 2022 Jul 5 7 e2224157

Outcomes After Endovascular Thrombectomy With or Without Alteplase in Routine Clinical Practice.

Smith EE, Zerna C, Solomon N, Matsouaka R, Mac Grory B, Saver JL, Hill MD, Fonarow GC, Schwamm LH, Messé SR, Xian Y, JAMA Neurol 2022 Jun

Recent Use of Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants and Intracranial Hemorrhage Among Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated With Alteplase-Reply.

Kam W, Xian Y, JAMA 2022 06 327 23 2355

Evaluation of Evidence-Based Dual Antiplatelet Therapy for Secondary Prevention in US Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke.

Xian Y, Xu H, Smith EE, Fonarow GC, Bhatt DL, Schwamm LH, Peterson ED, JAMA Intern Med 2022 Mar

Association of Recent Use of Non-Vitamin K Antagonist Oral Anticoagulants With Intracranial Hemorrhage Among Patients With Acute Ischemic Stroke Treated With Alteplase.

Kam W, Holmes DN, Hernandez AF, Saver JL, Fonarow GC, Smith EE, Bhatt DL, Schwamm LH, Reeves MJ, Matsouaka RA, Khan YM, Unverdorben M, Birmingham MC, Lyden PD, Asimos AW, Altschul D, Schoonover TL, Jumaa MA, Nomura JT, Suri MFK, Moore SA, Lafranchise EF, Olson D, Peterson ED, Xian Y, JAMA 2022 Feb

Achieving More Rapid Door-to-Needle Times and Improved Outcomes in Acute Ischemic Stroke in a Nationwide Quality Improvement Intervention.

Xian Y, Xu H, Smith EE, Saver JL, Reeves MJ, Bhatt DL, Hernandez AF, Peterson ED, Schwamm LH, Fonarow GC, Stroke 2021 Nov STROKEAHA121035853

 Featured Books

Data Resources. In Understanding Clinical Research

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

• 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)

• African Stroke Organization (2021)
• American Heart Association (2007)
• European Stroke Organisation (2018)
• Gerontological Society of America (2021)
• World Stroke Organization (2019)