Wei Xie is an assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. Her research interests focus on process analytical technologies, digital twins, systems and synthetic biology, interpretable artificial intelligence, computer simulation, data analytics, experiment design, data-driven stochastic optimization, and blockchain design for complex cyber-physical system risk management.

Xie applies that research to applications in biopharmaceutical manufacturing supply chains, healthcare systems, industrial hemp production and supply chains, and smart power grids with distributed renewable energy. Currently, Xie is developing risk-based interpretable AI that advances the scientific understanding of biological, physical, and chemical mechanisms at molecular, cellular, and system levels. It also speeds up the discovery of new therapeutics and facilitates the development of flexible, productive, reliable, and automated end-to-end biomanufacturing processes. Xie is also working with scientists from MIT, the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, and several leading biopharmaceutical companies on a project for the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals called Modularized Professional Accountancy Training Online Training Platform to Accelerate the Workforce Innovation in Biopharmaceuticals Manufacturing.

She is an associate editor for the Association for Computing Machinery journal, Transactions on Modeling and Computer Simulation, and serves on the technical committee for the National Institute for Innovation in Manufacturing Biopharmaceuticals. She has published more than 50 peer-reviewed journal and conference papers, two of which have received the Outstanding Publication Award from the Institute for Operations Research and the Management Sciences Simulation Society.

Xie earned her doctoral degree in industrial engineering and management sciences from Northwestern University.