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Lieutenant Commander Dan Xu was commissioned as a Naval Officer in March 2017. Prior to her military service, she distinguished herself as a Lead Scientist at Stanford University School of Medicine, where she developed innovative in vivo and in vitro models for studying human-specific drug toxicity. Her research findings have been published in numerous high-impact journals, including PLOS Medicine, Cell Stem Cell, and the Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics.
LCDR Xu's initial assignment was to Naval Medical Research Unit - Dayton, located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. As Department Head of the Environmental Health Effects Laboratory, she directed research projects focused on assessing the toxicological effects of occupational and environmental exposures. LCDR Xu pioneered the application of stem cell technology to develop novel approaches for environmental exposure toxicity testing and evaluation, contributing to the protection of warfighters through advanced knowledge and technologies.
Subsequently assigned to NEPMU-7, LCDR Xu served as the Department Head of Threat Assessment, executing Force Health Protection missions across AFRICOM, EUCOM, and CENTCOM. She and her team focused on strengthening collaboration and engagement between DoD units, allied forces and host nations within these theaters, ensuring continuous DoD operations and regional readiness.
As a Service Chief Fellow at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), LCDR Xu facilitated dynamic collaboration between DARPA and BUMED, focusing on the intersection of healthcare and cutting-edge technology. Her efforts fostered Scientific & Technology advancements within Navy Medicine and the development of future Expeditionary Medicine platforms. Recognized as a Chemical, Biological, Radiological, and Nuclear (CBRN) Medical Defense Subject Matter Expert (SME) within the Navy, she served as a SME and reviewer for DARPA Biological Technology Office programs. She directly contributes to the strategic development of joint military research, technology, and military medicine.
In August 2024, LCDR Xu was appointed Executive Officer of the Navy Drug Screening Lab Great Lakes (NDSL GL). Overseeing a Command of 76 staff and managing an approximate $13 million annual budget, she directs and manages NDSL GL's daily operations, which include testing over one million urine specimens annually. Her leadership ensures the provision of scientifically valid and legally defensible test results for selected drugs of abuse and drug metabolites in urine specimens, delivered accurately and efficiently to the organization's clientele, ensuring DoD Drug Deterring Program’s success and warfighter’s readiness.
LCDR Xu's decorations include the Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal (two awards), the Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal (two awards), the Humanitarian Service Medal, and the Military Outstanding Volunteer Service Medal. She was also recognized as Officer of the Year 2020 (Biochemistry/Toxicology subspecialty) and Navy Medical Research & Development Enterprise Junior Officer of 2019