Xiaozhong Wen PhD

Xiaozhong Wen

Xiaozhong Wen
PhD

Associate Professor

Department of Pediatrics

Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences


Specialty/Research Focus

Behavioral Medicine; Pediatrics; Public Health and General Preventive Medicine

Contact Information
University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Division of Behavioral Medicine
G56 Farber Hall, 3435 Main Street
Buffalo, New York 14214
Phone: (716) 829-6811
Fax: (716) 829-3993
xiaozhon@buffalo.edu



Professional Summary:

I am an Associate Professor in the Division of Behavioral Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York at Buffalo. With training in preventive medicine and epidemiology & biostatistics, my research focuses on maternal and child health, smoking prevention and cessation, pediatric obesity prevention, and cardio-metabolic conditions. My current research interests include smoking cessation during pregnancy and postpartum, breastfeeding promotion, the developmental origins (e.g. in utero, infancy, early childhood) of health and disease, and childhood growth trajectories. I have published 90 scientific journal articles related to these topics. I have been receiving several external grants as the Principal Investigator from NIH (2 R21s and 2 CTSA pilots), HRSA/MCHB (2 R40s), US Department of Agriculture, Egg Nutrition Center, and New York State.

Below are my ongoing research projects:
1) Pediatric obesity prevention by maternal smoking cessation in pregnancy and lactation (NIH CTSA Pilot grant)
2) Determinants and health effects of dynamic changes in e-cigarette use before, during, and after pregnancy (NIH R21 grant)
3) Effects of pulse consumption on maternal and child health (USDA grant)

Education and Training:

  • Other, Post-doctoral fellowship in Obesity Prevention, Harvard Medical School/Harvard Pilgrim Health Care Institute (2012)
  • PhD, Epidemiology, Brown University (2010)
  • MS, Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Sun Yat-sen University (2006)
  • MD, Preventive Medicine, Sun Yat-sen University (2003)

Employment:

  • Associate Professor, Pediatrics, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2019-present)
  • Research Assistant Professor, Social and Preventive Medicine, University at Buffalo School of Public Health and Health Professions (2012-present)
  • Assistant Professor, Pediatrics, University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (2012–2019)
  • Post Doctoral Research Fellow, Obesity Prevention Program, Population Medicine, Harvard Medical School (2010–2012)
  • Research Fellow, Primary Care Center, Children's Hospital of Boston (2010–2012)
  • Tutor, Harvard Medical School (2011)
  • Research Assistant, Center for Population Health and Clinical Epidemiology, Brown University (2009–2010)
  • Community Medical Service, Quincy Medical Center (2009)
  • Research Assistant, Center for Gerontology and Health Care Research, Brown University (2008–2009)
  • Research Assistant, Education, Brown University (2007–2009)
  • Teaching Assistant, Community Health, Brown University (2007)
  • Research Assistant, Center for Disease Control and Prevention (2005–2006)
  • Scientific Project Director, Sun Yat-sen University (2003–2006)
  • Intern, Preventive Medicine, Center of Disease Control and Prevention (2003)
  • Intern, Clinic Medicine, Eighth People‘s Hospital of Guangzhou (2002)
  • Intern, Clinic Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University (2002)
  • Teaching Assistant, Anatomy, Sun Yat-sen University of Medical Sciences (1999)
See all (7 more)

Awards and Honors:

  • University at Buffalo Student Association: Accessibility Award (2020)
  • Winner of Faculty Poster Award for the UNYTE Translational Research Network Scientific Session Collaborate to Innovate: Maternal and Child Health Translational Research (2017)
  • 30th New York State Perinatal Association Perinatal Conference: Scientific Track Poster Winner (2016)
  • The Obesity Society 31st Annual Scientific Meeting: Pat Simons Travel Award (2013)
  • The Obesity Society 30th Annual Scientific Meeting: Pat Simons Travel Award (2012)
  • The Obesity Society: 2012 Epidemiology Student and Trainee Award for Excellence in Obesity Research (2012)
  • Academic Pediatric Association: Fellow Research Award for Best Abstract (2012)
  • Pediatric Academic Societies: CTSA Consortium-Child Health Oversight Committee - Clinical and Translational Science Award (2012)
  • US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 17th Annual Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Conference: Travel Scholarship Award (2011)
  • US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 16th Annual Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Conference: Travel Scholarship Award (2010)
  • Brown University: Public Health Research Day - 2nd Place Poster Award (2010)
  • US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 15th Annual Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Conference: Travel Scholarship Award (2009)
  • Sun Yat-sen University: Keling's Scholarship (2005)
  • Sun Yat-sen University: Scholarship of the Alumni Association in Eastern America (2000)
  • Sun Yat-sen University: Annual Excellent Student Award (1999-2002)

Research Expertise:

  • Epidemiology
  • Maternal and Child Health
  • Obesity
  • Tobacco and nicotine product use

UB 2020 Strategic Strengths:

  • Health and Wellness Across the Lifespan

Grants and Sponsored Research:

  • August 2021–July 2026
    Effects of pulse consumption on maternal and child health
    United States Department of Agriculture
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $500,260
  • May 2023–June 2025
    Effects of maternal egg consumption during pregnancy and postpartum on maternal and child health
    Egg Nutrition Center/American Egg Board
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $203,322
  • December 2021–November 2023
    Determinants and health effects of dynamic changes in e-cigarette use before, during, and after pregnancy
    NIH/NIDA
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $455,585
  • April 2020–December 2022
    CTSA Pilot: Lung and breast cancer prevention by an integrated intervention of maternal smoking cessation and breastfeeding
    NIH/NCATS
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $45,000
  • December 2019–March 2022
    Effects of infant egg consumption on child health and cognition development
    Egg Nutrition Center
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $199,806
  • April 2020–March 2021
    Maternal Oxysterol Metabolism During Pregnancy
    NIH/NCATS
    Role: Co-Investigator
    $40,000
  • August 2018–July 2020
    Postpartum Smoking Relapse Prevention by Breastfeeding Promotion
    National Institutes of Health
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $444,773
  • March 2019–June 2020
    Snacking for Two (Impact of Changes in the Reinforcing Value of Food During Pregnancy in Smokers, Quitters, and Non-Smokers)
    University at Buffalo
    Role: Co-Investigator
    $10,000
  • July 2018–June 2020
    Socioeconomic disparities in early origins of childhood obesity and body mass index trajectories
    HRSA - Health Resources and Services Administration
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $99,995
  • November 2015–March 2017
    CTSA Pilot: Pilot Study on Pediatric Obesity Prevention by Maternal Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy and Lactation
    National Institutes of Health
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $75,000
  • July 2015–June 2016
    Causes and Interventions for Childhood Obesity: Innovative Systems Analysis
    National Institutes of Health
    Role: Co-Investigator
    $1,225,358
  • September 2013–August 2015
    Maternal Low-Fat Vegetarian Diet to Prevent Gestational-Diabetes-Related Childhood Obesity: A Pilot Randomized Controlled Trial
    SUNY REACH (Research Excellence in Academic Health)
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $25,000
  • April 2014–March 2015
    Etiological Subgroups of Small-for-Gestational-Age: Differential Child Outcomes
    Health Resources and Services Administration
    Role: Principal Investigator
    $99,968
See all (3 more)

Journal Articles:

See all (94 more)

Abstracts:

  • Wen X, Buka SL, Loucks E, Oken E, Kleinman K, Goldstein JM, Heude B, Eaton CB, Gillman MW. (2012) Modifiable Determinants of 4 Components of Gestational Weight Gain. Abstract Book for the 30th Annual Scientific Meeting of the Obesity Society, (Jan) S70-S70
  • Wen X, Kleinman K, Rifas-Shiman SL, Baccarelli A, Burris HH, Litonjua AA, Boeke CE, Gillman MW. (2011) Cord Blood Global DNA Methylation Associated with Childhood Height among Boys. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, (Jan) S62-S62
  • Burris HH, Rifas-Shiman SL, Baccarelli A, Boeke CE, Kleinman K, Wen X, Litonjua AA, Rich-Edwards JW, Gillman MW. (2011) Associations of LINE-1 (‘Global‘) DNA Methylation with Preterm Birth in a Prospective Cohort Study. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, (Jan) S122-S122
  • Wen X, Gillman MW, Kleinman K, Rifas-Shiman SL, Sherry B, Taveras EM. (2011) Childhood Body Mass Index Trajectories: Modeling, Estimates, Correlations, and Predictors. American Journal of Epidemiology, (Jan) S157-S157
  • Wen X, Buka SL, Loucks E, Oken E, Kleinman K, Gillman MW. (2011) Components of Gestational Weight Gain and Postpartum Weight Retention. Obesity, (Jan) L20-L20
  • Wen X. (2011) Etiological Subgroups of Small-for-Gestational-Age: Differential Childhood Growth Trajectories. Journal of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, (Jan) S145-S145

Professional Memberships:

  • American Public Health Association (2023–present)
  • CHEST (2023–present)
  • American Society for Nutrition (2023–present)
  • Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco
  • Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research
  • American College of Epidemiology
  • American Heart Association
  • American Public Health Association
  • International Society for Developmental Origins of Health and Disease
  • Society for Epidemiologic Research
  • The Obesity Society
See all (1 more)

Presentations:

  • "Dynamic changes in e-cigarette use before, during, and after pregnancy" Research Conference, Department of Pediatrics, State University of New York at Buffalo (2022)
  • "When the community meets research: healthier moms and babies" The first Annual Research Day, UB Community Health Equity Research Institute, State University of New York at Buffalo (2021)
  • "Integrated Intervention of Maternal Smoking Cessation and Breastfeeding" A Virtual Colloquium to Advance Health Equity Research in Buffalo; University at Buffalo (2020)
  • "Maternal Smoking Around Pregnancy Partially Mediates Socioeconomic Disparities in Early Childhood Obesity" Annual Meeting; Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (2019)
  • "Short Breastfeeding Partially Mediates Maternal-Smoking-Induced Risk of Childhood Obesity" Annual Meeting; Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (2019)
  • "High Successful Rate of Maternal Smoking Cessation in Pregnancy by Multicomponent Intervention: A Pilot Study from Buffalo, NY" 30th Perinatal Conference; New York State Perinatal Association (2016)
  • "Differential Outcomes in SGA Infants" Pediatric Grand Rounds; University at Buffalo (2015)
  • "Can High-Quality Parenting, Breastfeeding and Well-Child Checkup Reduce Neurodevelopmental Delay Related to Small-for-Gestational-Age Birth?" 2nd Annual Obesity Week Meeting; The Obesity Society (2014)
  • "Differential Childhood Growth Trajectories of Etiological Subgroups of Large-for-Gestational-Age Newborns in US" 2nd Annual Obesity Week Meeting; The Obesity Society (2014)
  • "Do Maternal Socio-Demographics and Postnatal Factors Modify Subsequent High Risk of Obesity among Large-for-Gestational-Age Children?" 2nd Annual Obesity Week Meeting; The Obesity Society (2014)
  • "Fruits and Vegetables Consumption: Do Timing of Introduction, Early Liking and Early Consumption Matter?" 2nd Annual Obesity Week Meeting; The Obesity Society (2014)
  • "Mid-Childhood Fruit and Vegetable Consumption: Do Timing of Introduction, Early Liking and Early Consumption Matter?" 2nd Annual Obesity Week Meeting; The Obesity Society (2014)
  • "Postnatal Weight Gain and Later BMI and Neurodevelopment: Do Timing, Gestational Age and Intrauterine Growth Matter?" 2nd Annual Obesity Week Meeting; The Obesity Society (2014)
  • "Toddler General Self-Regulation and Later Eating Habits: Does Parental Rule about Food Type Matter?" 2nd Annual Obesity Week Meeting; The Obesity Society (2014)
  • "Toddler General Self-Regulation and Later Eating Habits: Does Parental Rule About Food Type Matter?" 2nd Annual Obesity Week Meeting; The Obesity Society (2014)
  • "U.S. Infant Dietary Patterns: Socio-Demographic Differences and Potential Impact on Infant Growth" 2nd Annual Obesity Week Meeting; The Obesity Society (2014)
  • "U.S. Infant Vegetable Consumption: Prevalence, Child/Maternal Predictors and Potential Impact on Infant Growth" 2nd Annual Obesity Week Meeting; The Obesity Society (2014)
  • "Maternal Physical Activity before and during Pregnancy and Offspring Adiposity at Mid-Childhood" Early Nutrition-The Power of Programming; Early Nutrition Academy (2014)
  • "Preeclampsia Prevention by Normalizing Prepregnancy Weight among Overweight/Obese Women: Findings from a National Pre-Birth Cohort" 12th International Congress on Obesity; World Obesity Federation (2014)
  • "Macrosomia Prevention by Normalizing Prepregnancy Weight among Overweight/Obese Women: Findings from a National Pre-Birth Cohort" 1st Annual Obesity Week Meeting; The Obesity Society (2013)
  • "Association of Diet and Physical Activity with the 3 Components of Gestational Weight Gain" Annual Meeting; Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research (2013)
  • "Modifiable Determinants of 4 Components of Gestational Weight Gain" 30th Annual Scientific Meeting; The Obesity Society (2012)
  • "Etiological Subgroups of Small-for-Gestational-Age: Differential Childhood Physical and Cognitive Outcomes at 7 Years of Age" Annual Meeting; Pediatric Academic Societies (2012)
  • "Components of Gestational Weight Gain and Child Body Mass Index at Age 7 Years" 17th Annual Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Conference; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2011)
  • "Associations of LINE-1 ('Global') DNA Methylation with Preterm Birth in a Prospective Cohort Study" National Conference and Exhibition; American Academy of Pediatrics (2011)
  • "Components of Gestational Weight Gain and Postpartum Weight Retention" 29th Annual Scientific Meeting; The Obesity Society (2011)
  • "Cord Blood Global DNA Methylation Associated with Childhood Height among Boys" 7th World Congress; Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (2011)
  • "Etiological Subgroups of Small-for-Gestational-Age: Differential Childhood Growth Trajectories" 7th World Congress; Developmental Origins of Health and Disease (2011)
  • "Childhood Body Mass Index Trajectories: Modeling, Estimates, Correlations, and Predictors" 3rd North American Congress of Epidemiology; Society for Epidemiologic Research (2011)
  • "2-Year Body Mass Index Changes among Participants of a Pediatric Obesity Weight" Joint Meeting; Pediatric Academic Societies/Asian Society for Pediatric Research (2011)
  • "Associations between Childhood BMI Trajectory and Obesity in Late Adolescence" Annual Meeting; Pediatric Academic Societies (2011)
  • "Associations between Early Childhood Body Mass Index Milestones and Systolic Blood Pressure at Age 11 and 18 Years" Cardiovascular Disease Epidemiology and Prevention Conference/Nutrition, Physical Activity and Metabolism Conference; American Heart Association (2011)
  • "Associations of Placental Size and Vascular Pathological Lesions with Childhood Systolic Blood Pressure" 16th Annual Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Conference; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2010)
  • "Associations between Maternal Factors and Systolic Blood Pressure in Children: The Roles of Intrauterine Growth Restriction and Childhood Growth Trajectory" Annual Meeting; Society for Epidemiologic Research (2010)
  • "Breastfeeding Amplifies the Risk of Childhood Overweight Associated with Maternal Smoking" Annual Meeting; Society for Epidemiologic Research (2010)
  • "Test-Retest Reliability of Key Variables from the Lifetime Interview on Smoking History (LIST)" Annual Meeting; Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (2010)
  • "Validity of Adults' 40-Year Recall of Exposure to Maternal Smoking during Early Childhood" Annual Meeting; Society for Research on Nicotine and Tobacco (2010)
  • "Association between Subtypes of Intrauterine Growth Restriction with or without Maternal Smoking during Pregnancy and the Risk of Hypercholesterolemia in Later Life: A 40-Year Cohort Study" 15th Annual Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Conference; Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (2009)
  • "Two-Year Effects of a School-Based Prevention Program on Adolescent Cigarette Smoking in Guangzhou, China" Annual Meeting; Society for Epidemiologic Research (2009)
  • "Effect of Health Promotion School Model on Smoking Prevention and Control in Secondary School Students" 14th World Conference on Tobacco or Health; World Health Organization (2009)
  • "Report on the Program of Tobacco Use Prevention among Adolescents in Huangpu, Guangzhou" Regional Conference on Smoking and Launching Ceremony for the Campaign of Tobacco Control in the Area of Pearl River Delta (2005)
  • "Survey on the Characteristics of Smoking Behaviors among Secondary School Students in Suburbs at Guangzhou, China" 12th Chinese National Conference on Smoking and Health/2nd Forum on Framework Conference on Tobacco Control (2005)
See all (32 more)

Service Activities:

  • The Faculty Awards Committee; Member (2022–present)
  • Interview candidates for Assistant Administrator position in the Division of Behavioral Medicine; Member (2021–present)
  • Board of Directors, Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network; Board of Directors (2020–present)
  • BMC Pregnancy and Childbirth; Associate Editor (2020–present)
  • Florida Department of Health, James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program; Peer review (2019)
  • Member of the Faculty Council; Member (2019–present)
  • Florida Department of Health, James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program; Peer reviewer (2018)
  • Research and Creative Activity Committee, UB Faculty Senate; Member (2018–present)
  • Coordinator for Idea Playground Meeting in the Division of Behavioral Medicine; Coordinator (2018–2020)
  • Member for Departmental Scientific Review Committee; Peer reviewer (2018–present)
  • Florida Department of Health, James and Esther King Biomedical Research Program; Peer reviewer (2017)
  • Portland State University, BUILD EXITO Pilot Project Grant Program funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH); Peer reviewer (2017)
  • Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-17-011 MCH Field-Initiated Innovative Research Studies (FIRST); Peer reviewer (2017)
  • Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-17-062 MCH State Systems Development Initiative Grant Program; Peer reviewer (2017)
  • Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA)-17-101 Home Visiting Research and Development; Peer reviewer (2017)
  • Health Expert in the Durham's Baby Café, a lactation support group mainly serving low income African American women from Buffalo downtown; Health expert (2016–present)
  • University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences: Search Committee for the Division of Behavioral Medicine; Committee Member (2016)
  • University at Buffalo: IMPACT Grant; Grant Reviewer (2016)
  • Health Resources and Services Administration: Maternal and Child Health Research Program; Grant Reviewer (2016)
  • Health Resources and Services Administration: Maternal and Child Health Secondary Data Analysis Studies Program; Grant Reviewer (2016)
  • Member for the Western New York “Healthy babies are worth the wait advisory board (HBWWAB)”, March of Dimes and Buffalo Prenatal-Perinatal Network; Member (2014–present)
  • Member for the Western New York “Healthy Start Healthy Future for All (HSHFA) Coalition”, United Way and UBMD; Member (2014–present)
  • University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences: Postdoctoral Research Symposium Poster Judge (2014–2015)
  • The Obesity Society: Scientific Review Committee - Early Career Research; Grant Reviewer (2014)
  • The Obesity Society: Scientific Review Committee - The Egg Nutrition Center Research; Grant Reviewer (2014)
  • The Obesity Society: Scientific Review Committee - Weight Watchers; Grant Reviewer (2014)
  • Poster judge for the UB Postdoc Research Symposium; Judge (2013–2019)
  • The Obesity Society: Scientific Review Committee; Committee Member (2013–2015)
  • Society for Epidemiological Research: Education and Professional Development Committee; Committee Member (2013–2014)
  • University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences: Xiuhong Li (Visiting Professor); Sponsor (2013–2014)
  • Diabetes UK; Grant Reviewer (2013)
  • Circulation Journal; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2013–present)
  • BMC Medical Education Journal; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2013–present)
  • American College of Epidemiology: Abstracts; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2013–present)
  • American Journal of Clinical Nutrition; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2013–present)
  • Society for Pediatric and Perinatal Epidemiologic Research: Abstracts; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2013–present)
  • PLoS ONE Journal; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012–present)
  • Society for Epidemiological Research: Abstracts; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012–present)
  • American Journal of Epidemiology; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012–present)
  • Annals of Human Biology; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012–present)
  • BMC Public Health Journal; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012–present)
  • Journal of Women's Health; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012–present)
  • Obesity Facts Journal; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012–present)
  • Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology Journal; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2012–present)
  • The Obesity Society: Clinical Committee; Committee Member (2011–2013)
  • Nicotine and Tobacco Research Journal; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2011–present)
  • Pediatric Obesity Journal; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2011–present)
  • Pediatrics (Journal of the American Academy of Pediatrics); Ad Hoc Reviewer (2011–present)
  • Hypertension Research Journal; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2011–present)
  • Archives of Disease in Childhood; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2011–present)
  • Maternal and Child Health Epidemiology Conference: Abstracts; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2010–present)
  • British Medical Journal; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2010–present)
  • Health Promotion International Journal; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2010–present)
  • The Lancet Journal; Ad Hoc Reviewer (2008–present)

School News:

In the Media:


Clinical Specialties:

Clinical Offices:

Insurance Accepted:



Contact Information

University at Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences
Division of Behavioral Medicine
G56 Farber Hall, 3435 Main Street
Buffalo, New York 14214
Phone: (716) 829-6811
Fax: (716) 829-3993
xiaozhon@buffalo.edu