Dr. Xiang Li joined the Department of Animal Science at the University of Tennessee as an Assistant Professor on September 1, 2025. His research focuses on applying advanced qPCR techniques, computational biology, and high-throughput sequencing to better understand and mitigate foodborne pathogens from farm to fork. His teaching emphasizes hands-on learning through field sampling, laboratory experimentation, and computational analysis, preparing students to tackle real-world challenges in animal health and food safety. Dr. Li also mentors undergraduate and graduate students in research projects that foster critical thinking and innovation within microbiology and computational biology.
Dr. Li earned degrees in Molecular Biology and Environmental Engineering and completed postdoctoral training at both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the University of Notre Dame, experiences that strengthened his commitment to research and teaching. Prior to joining the University of Tennessee, he worked at the USDA-ARS U.S. National Poultry Research Center, where he led projects on Salmonella surveillance, antimicrobial resistance monitoring, and microbiome dynamics in poultry production systems. He also served as the Data Session Leader for the USDA Salmonella Grand Challenge and was recognized as a Scientist Year cohort member at the USDA National Poultry Research Center.
With over a decade of professional research experience, Dr. Li has published more than 40 peer-reviewed articles, accumulated over 1,000 citations, and secured over $250,000 in research funding for animal health initiatives. At the University of Tennessee, his research program will advance Precision Animal Health (PAH) by integrating PCR-based molecular diagnostics, sequencing, microbial source tracking, statistical modeling, and bioinformatics to improve food safety and animal health outcomes.