Xun Li Wang graduated from Peking University with a B.S. in Physics and went to the US as a CUSPEA scholar, earning a PhD in Physics from Iowa State University. In 1992-2012, he worked at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in the US, where he advanced to the position of Distinguished Staff Member. In August 2012, Wang joined City University of Hong Kong as a Chair Professor in Physics and Head of the Department. In 2022-2023, Wang served as Executive Director of Hong Kong Institute for Advanced Study (HKIAS). In 2024-2025, he was appointed a Visiting Scholar at Harvard University.

Wang works at the interface of condensed matter physics and materials science. His research involves using cutting-edge neutron and synchrotron scattering techniques to investigate the structure and dynamics of complex alloys. He also made significant contributions to the development of instrumentation necessary for sophisticated experimental studies. Wang is a Fellow of the American Physical Society (APS), the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), and the Neutron Scattering Society of America (NSSA). In 2021, he was honoured with the Croucher Senior Research Fellowship, and in 2024, he was elected to the Board of Directors of the American Physical Society.