Xiang Li

I am a postdoctoral researcher in Statistics at the University of Pennsylvania, working with Prof. Qi Long and Prof. Weijie Su. I received my Ph.D. in Statistics from the School of Mathematical Sciences, Peking University in 2023, advised by Prof. Zhihua Zhang. Before that, I earned dual bachelor’s degrees in Statistics and Economics at Peking University in 2018.

My research interests lie broadly at the intersection of statistics, optimization, and machine learning, with applications spanning data science and artificial intelligence. My current research focuses on the statistical and algorithmic foundations of reliable AI, with emphasis on large language models (LLMs). I investigate statistical watermarking to ensure the provenance and robustness of AI-generated content and develop tools to evaluate how LLMs encode and use knowledge.

Earlier, during my Ph.D., I designed methods for learning with heterogeneous and online data, addressing challenges such as communication efficiency in federated learning, robustness under data heterogeneity, and uncertainty quantification in streaming and decision-making problems. These experiences continue to shape my perspective on building scalable and trustworthy data-driven systems.

I am currently on the academic job market for the 2025–2026 cycle, and I am also open to scientific research opportunities in industry.

Contact Info: lx10077 at upenn dot cn