Our Team

Professor Xudong Fan is an internationally recognized leader in biomedical photonics whose work bridges engineering, optics, and health-technology innovation. As the Richard A. Auhll Professor of Engineering and Professor of Biomedical Engineering, with a courtesy appointment in Electrical and Computer Engineering, he brings deep interdisciplinary expertise to The Standard School of Machine Learning (TheSSML). His research focuses on the development of micro- and nano-scale photonic devices, including high-quality optical resonators, photonic crystals, optical fibers, and engineered nanoparticles that enable ultra-sensitive detection of biomarkers in body fluids such as blood, saliva, and breath.

Professor Fan’s innovations advance early disease detection by developing optical systems capable of identifying trace biological signatures associated with cancers, metabolic disorders, and a wide range of physiological conditions. His work integrates precision engineering with biomedical sensing, offering new pathways for non-invasive diagnostics, point-of-care testing, and real-time health monitoring. This convergence of photonics and biomedicine has broad impacts on personalized healthcare, public health surveillance, and clinical decision-making.

At TheSSML, Professor Fan’s expertise enriches the connection between photonic biosensing and machine learning, demonstrating how intelligent algorithms can enhance detection accuracy, analyze complex optical data, and accelerate the development of next-generation diagnostic technologies. He guides students in exploring how advanced sensing systems and AI-driven analytics can transform preventative medicine and biomedical innovation.