Erin Xie, PhD, Managing Director and portfolio manager, is the head of the Health Sciences team, part of BlackRock’s Active Equity Group. She is the lead portfolio manager for the Health Sciences equity portfolios. Ms. Xie's service with the firm dates back to 2001, including her years with State Street Research & Management (SSRM), which merged with BlackRock in 2005. At SSRM, she was a Senior Vice President and portfolio manager responsible for managing the State Street Health Sciences Fund. Prior to joining State Street Research in 2001, Ms. Xie was a research associate with Sanford Bernstein covering the pharmaceutical industry from 1999. From 1994 until 1997, she was a post doctoral research scientist at Columbia University. Ms. Xie earned a BS degree in chemistry from Beijing University in 1988, a PhD degree in Biochemistry from the University of California, Los Angeles, in 1993 and a MBA degree from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Sloan School of Management in 1999.

Xiang Liu, PhD, Director, is a member of the Health Sciences team, part of BlackRock’s Active Equity Group. He is co-portfolio manager for the Health Sciences equity portfolios and is responsible for coverage of the medical devices & supplies sector. Prior to joining BlackRock in 2008, Mr. Liu was a partner and biotech analyst at Mehta Partners. From 2002 to 2005, he was a Director in the corporate development department at Cubist Pharmaceuticals. Mr. Liu began his investment career in 2000 at the Boston Consulting Group as a Healthcare consultant. Mr. Liu earned a BS degree in Chemistry from the University of Science & Technology, China in 1993, a PhD degree in Chemistry from Yale University in 1997, and a MBA degree in finance, strategy, and accounting from the University of Chicago in 2000.