XU LABORATORY
INSTITUTE FOR CELL ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF NEUROLOGY | JOHNS HOPKINS SCHOOL OF MEDICINE
Forging new tools to understand neurological disease
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Philosophy
To find new treatments for neurological disease requires new tools and approaches to answer fundamental questions about the nature of the disease. In the Xu lab, we strive to build new isogenic human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPS)-derived neural cells, preclinical mouse models and state-of-the-art techniques to understand the underlying mechanisms with the goal of developing new medical interventions.
The stem cell-derived human cell as a platform to study science of neural diseases
The human brain is a truly remarkable organ, which is responsible for our intelligence, information processing and controlling our behavior that define who we are. Dysregulation of the brain function leads to neurological disorders ranging from Alzheimer's disease to autism and intellectual disability.
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Using human iPS derived cells allows us to genetically define brain cells that participate in neural circuits affected by disease or understand how mutations affect translation in defined cell types with nucleotide resolution.
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Stay thoughtful, stay curious.
Projects
A. Behensky
Defining the neural circuitry of the basal ganglia
The circuits of the basal ganglia control movement , cognitive, and emotional processes, all of which are disrupted in Parkinson's disease. We aim to define these circuits anatomically and genetically to better understand this disease.
S. Eacker
Cell type specific ribosome profiling
By combining cell type specific immunopurification and ribosome profiling, we have designed a new method that afford us a nucleotide level view of translation during physiologic and pathophysiologic processes.
J.C. Xu
Translation control and neural fate
Disruption of the mTOR signaling pathway leads to a variety of neurological conditions including autism, epilepsy, and intellectual disability. We are determining how disruption of mTOR function influences mRNA translation and cell fate in human ES-derived neural precursors.
Home and Funding
Job Opportunity
Available Positions:
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– postdoctoral fellow
– visiting scholar
– research technician
– graduate student
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We support and welcome individuals of all backgrounds. Those applicants with a track record of excellence in research and scholarship can apply. Expertise is sought in any of the following areas: neuroscience, gene editing, bioengineering, human iPSC and ES cell culture, transgenic animal models, confocal microscopy, fluorescence activated cell sorting, and small animal surgical models. Our lab will serve as a good platform for you to explore research projects of your own design. Please send your CV to jxu31@jhmi.edu.