Liling Xiao is a PhD candidate at the Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience (IoPPN), King’s College London. She joined King’s in 2024. Her research focuses on the clinical phenotype of depression in people with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), with particular interest in the gut–brain axis and the co-occurrence of psychiatric and physical symptoms. Prior to joining King’s College London, Liling completed her undergraduate training in clinical medicine in China. Her research aims to improve the recognition and management of depression in patients with chronic physical illness and to contribute to a more integrated understanding of mental and physical health.

Research Interests

• Major depressive disorder
• Inflammatory bowel disease
• Gut-brain axis
• Gut microbiome

Research Groups

Centre for Affective Disorders