Xinyu Zhao
Position title: Professor, Department of Neuroscience
Email: xinyu.zhao@wisc.edu
Phone: (608) 263-9906
Department:
Neuroscience
Education:
Ph.D. in Pharmacology, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, USA
O.T.H. in Neurogenesis, Salk Institute for Biological Studies, San Diego, CA, USA
Research Description:
My research focuses on understanding the mechanisms regulating neuronal development and their implications in human intellectual disabilities, including autism, Fragile X syndrome (FXS), and Rett Syndrome. For example, my laboratory has pioneered the investigation of FMRP in neural stem cells and our work have unveiled novel mechanisms underlying the learning deficits seen in FXS. My laboratory has developed cutting–edge technology and critical techniques for achieve these goals, including genome–wide analysis, quantitative fluorescent imaging analysis of neurons, rodent behavioral tests for social and cognitive functions, and in vivo gene targeting (knock out, intra uterus electroporation, viral targeting). More recently, my group has generated iPSCs from 9 FXS individuals with distinct EEG profiles and showed that neurons derived from these iPSCs retain their distinctive electrical activities as measured by multi-electrode array (MEA).
Research Key Words:
Neurodevelopment, Stem Cells, Genetics, Human Intellectual Disabilities