Canhua Xiao is a Professor, tenured, and joined Emory University Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing as an Assistant Professor in 2014. She received her PhD from the University of Pennsylvania and completed her postdoctoral training at Emory University.  Dr. Xiao's general research interests focus on patient-reported outcomes, including cancer-related symptoms/symptom clusters, and their biological mechanisms.  She has used multiomics approaches, including genomics and epigenomics, as well as microbiome, for cancer-related fatigue and other neuropsychological symptoms. Her recent research on microbiome and metabolites (i.e., short-chain fatty acids) has further contributed to understanding the gut-brain axis and inflammation for neuropsychological symptoms. Dr. Xiao has also collaborated with other colleagues on how microbiome may contribute to HPV-associated tumors. Dr. Xiao's work has been funded by multiple sources, including the NIH/NINR, NCI, and NIDCR. Her work has been published in the fields of cancer, psychoneuroimmunology, and nursing journals, including the Journal of the National Cancer Institute, Cancer, Brain, Behavior, and Immunity, International Journal of Radiation Oncology * Biology * Physics, and Cancer Nursing.

Xiao C, Peng G, Conneely KN, Zhao H, Felger JC, Wommack EC, Higgins KA, Shin DM, Saba NF, Bruner DW, Miller AH. DNA methylation profiles of cancer-related fatigue associated with markers of inflammation and immunometabolism. Mol Psychiatry. 2025 Jan;30(1):76-83. doi: 10.1038/s41380-024-02652-z. Epub 2024 Jul 9. PubMed PMID: 38977918.

Lin Y, Peng G, Bruner DW, Miller AH, Saba NF, Higgins KA, Shin DM, Claussen H, Johnston HR, Houser MC, Wommack EC, Xiao C. Associations of differentially expressed genes with psychoneurological symptoms in patients with head and neck cancer: A longitudinal study. J Psychosom Res. 2023 Dec;175:111518. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2023.111518. Epub 2023 Oct 10. PubMed PMID: 37832274; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC11789059.

Xiao C, Fedirko V, Claussen H, Johnston HR, Peng G, Paul S, Maner-Smith KM, Higgins KA, Shin DM, Saba NF, Wommacke EC, Bruner DW, Miller AH. Circulating Short Chain Fatty Acids and Fatigue in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: a longitudinal prospective study. BBI. 2023:113:432-443.

Xiao C, Miller AH, Peng G, Levine M, Conneely KN, Zhao H, Eldridge RC, Wommack EC, Chico CE, Jeon S, Higgins KA, Shin DM, Saba NF, Smith AK, Burtness B, Park HS, Irwin ML, Ferrucci LM, Ulrich B, Qian DC, Beitler JJ, Bruner DW. Association of epigenetic age acceleration with risk factors, survival, and quality of life in patients with head and neck cancer. International Journal of Radiation Oncology • Biology • Physics. 2021; 111(1):157-167.

Xiao C, Beitler JJ, Peng G, Levine M, Conneely KN, Zhao H, Felger JC, Wommack EC, Chico CE, Jeon S, Higgins KA, Shin DM, Saba NF, Burtness B, Bruner DW, Miller AH. Epigenetic Age Acceleration, Inflammation, and Cancer-Related Fatigue: A Longitudinal Study of Head and Neck Cancer Patients. Cancer 2021; 127(18):3361-3371.

Xiao C, Fedirko V, Beitler JJ, Bai J, Peng G, Zhou C, Gu J, Zhao H, Lin IH, Chico CE, Jeon S, Knobf TM, Conneely KN, Higgins KA, Shin DM, Saba NF, Miller AH, Bruner DW. The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Cancer-Related Fatigue: Pilot Study on Epigenetic Mechanisms. Supportive care in cancer. 2021 Jun;29(6):3173-3182. PMID: 33078326.

Xiao C, Fedirko V, Beitler JJ, Bai J, Peng G, Zhou C, Gu J, Zhao H, Lin IH, Chico CE, Jeon S, Knobf TM, Conneely KN, Higgins KA, Shin DM, Saba NF, Miller AH, Bruner DW. The Role of the Gut Microbiome in Cancer-Related Fatigue: Pilot Study on Epigenetic Mechanisms. Supportive care in cancer. 2021 Jun;29(6):3173-3182. PMID: 33078326.

Xiao C, Beitler JJ, Higgins KA, Chico CE, Withycombe JS, Zhu Y, Zhao H, Lin IH, Li F, Jeon S, Irwin M, Bruner DW, Miller AH, Gary R. Pilot Study of Combined Aerobic and Resistance Exercise on Fatigue for Patients with Head and Neck Cancer: Inflammatory and Epigenetic Changes. Brain, Behavior, and Immunology 2020; 88:184-192.

Xiao C, Beitler J, Higgins K, Conneely K, Dwivedi B, Felger J, Wommack EC, Shin DM, Saba NF, Ong L, Kowalski J, Burner DW, Miller A. (2016) Fatigue is Associated with Inflammation in Patients with Head and Neck Cancer Before and After Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy. Brain, Behavior, and Immunology. 52:145-152. PMCID: PMC4867228

Dr. Xiao teaches and gives guest lectures for different levels of students, including undergraduates and graduates.  Through her teaching, Dr. Xiao likes to engage her students in the classroom, share research experiences and findings of herself and others, and explore new instrumental technology.  The courses and lectures that she has given include research methods, statistics, genetics, and cancer symptoms and inflammation.  Dr. Xiao is also the advisor/mentor for students from the School of Nursing and other colleges.  Teaching and learning from teaching are invigorating and joyful aspects of Dr. Xiao's professional life.

Dr. Xiao has broad interests in cancer patient-reported outcomes and related biological mechanisms.  More specifically, she has conducted research on cancer-related psychoneurological symptoms, such as fatigue, and inflammation in patients with head and neck cancer.  Her work has identified inflammatory mechanisms of fatigue in head and neck cancer patients from the interplay among peripheral protein, mRNA gene expression, and DNA methylation changes. Her data is also among the first to show that accelerated epigenetic age (i.e., DNA methylation age) is linked to elevated inflammation, more neuropsychological symptoms, such as fatigue, and worse survival.  Her current focus is on the link between neuropsychological symptoms and microbiome, as well as short-chain fatty acids among cancer patients, including those receiving immunotherapy.  Dr. Xiao is also interested in interventional studies to improve cancer survivors' symptom experience and quality of life.  Additionally, Dr. Xiao has collaborated with colleagues on how the microbiome (e.g., oral and anal) may contribute to HPV-associated tumors.  Her research has received funding through multiple R01 grants supported by various institutes of the NIH.