She earned her doctorate in marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago, and her primary research interests include firms’ innovation strategies and consumers’ adoption and resistance to new products. She is also interested in healthcare service innovations that help chronically ill consumers stay adherent to medications. Her research has been published in the Journal of Service Research, Journal of Business Research, Journal of Business Ethics and International Marketing Review. She was presented the Best Student Paper Award at the 2014 Product Development & Management Association Annual Research Forum. Xiao worked previously as a marketing research manager and international education consultant prior to entering academia.