Xiang undertook his PhD in advanced materials at Cranfield University and was awarded a fellowship at the University of Cambridge in 1995, where he carried out research on fundamental nano and fracture mechanics. He pioneered the study of material ductile to brittle transitions, which employed synchrotron SAXS and WAXS (wide angle and small angel X-ray scattering) to study in situ deformation and fracture down to nanometre scales. He is the author of three books "Inorganic Biomaterials", "Inorganic Controlled Release Technology" and "Science and Principles of Biodegradable and Bioresorbable Medical Polymers - Materials and Properties". Xiang's industry experience was gained at Abbott Laboratories, where, as Principal Scientist, his work covered all aspects of medical devices from R&D and manufacturing support to failure analysis and conductive QC.

As a highly experienced materials scientist, Xiang has employed his expert knowledge to provide solutions across a range of industries. Much of the work has been around solving problems firstly in theories then industrial practice from raw materials, fabrication and upon the ultimate performance. He has taken leader role for many projects of national and international importance making good contributions to UK, US and EU stages.