Dr. Xu attended Yale University where he graduated cum laude with a bachelor of science in biomedical engineering. He received his MD and PhD degrees from Columbia University where he was part of the NIH-sponsored Medical Scientist Training Program. He completed a well-received thesis studying how the brain uses eye position signals to coordinate accurate eye movements. Dr. Xu completed his residency in ophthalmology at the LAC+USC Medical Center and USC Roski Eye Institute, where he served as Chief Resident and was recognized for his academic and teaching achievements. He completed his glaucoma fellowship with Dr. Robert Weinreb at the UCSD Shiley Eye Institute and Hamilton Glaucoma Center.

Dr. Xu’s current research focus is developing novel interventions to enhance glaucoma care and prevent glaucoma-related vision loss. Dr. Xu's research combines non-invasive ocular imaging and artificial intelligence to develop precise and convenient tools to detect and evaluate patients with or at risk for glaucoma. Dr. Xu studies the impact of glaucoma on diverse populations in the United States, using big data to identify and elucidate disparities in glaucoma care. He also uses data from NIH-funded population-based epidemiological studies, including the Chinese American Eye Study (CHES) and Los Angeles Latino Eye Study (LALES), to study the prevalence and impact of glaucoma in the United States. Dr. Xu has a particular interest in studying primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG), a visually devastating form of glaucoma.