News

08/2022

The UCI Center for Neural Circuit Mapping (CNCM) held its annual conference, this year titled “Linking Brain Function to Cell Types and Circuits”. The conference was held in the Beckman Center of the National Academies of Sciences & Engineering on August 15-16, 2022

07/2022

New lab publication: Hippocampal neural circuit connectivity alterations in an Alzheimer’s disease mouse model revealed by monosynaptic rabies virus tracing. Neurobiol Dis. 2022 Jul 14;105820. doi:10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105820 by Qiao Ye, Gocylen Gast, Xilin Su, Takashi Saito, Takaomi C Saido, Todd C Holmes, Xiangmin Xu

06/2022

New lab publication: Genome Sequencing Variations in the Octodon degus, an Unconventional Natural Model of Aging and Alzheimer’s Disease (2022) (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100207) by Michael J Hurley, Claudio Urra, B. Maximiliano Garduno, Agostino Bruno, Allison Kimbell, Brent Wilkinson, Cristina Marino-Buslje, Marcelo Ezquer, Fernando Ezquer, Pedro F Aburto, Elie Poulin, Rodrigo A Vasquez, Robert Deacon, Ariel Avila, Francisco Altimiras, Peter Whitney Vanderklish, Guido Zampieri, Claudio Angione, Gabriele Constantino, Todd C Holmes, Marcelo P Coba, Xiangmin Xu, Patricia Cogram

06/2022

Congratulations to Steven Grieco, PhD (Xu Lab postdoc) along with Briac Halbout, PhD who received the first 2022-2023 Conte Center Seed Grant of $30k for their project entitled “The Impact of Early Life Adversity on Behaviors Guided by Reward-Paired Cue and their Underlying Circuitry.” Steven also received the Knights Templar Eye Foundation Award ($70k) for his Career Development.

05/2022

New lab publication: Tracking longitudinal population dynamics of single neuronal calcium signal using SCOUT, Cell Reports Methods (2022) (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.crmeth.2022.100207) by Kevin G. Johnston, Steven F. Grieco, Hai Zhang, Suoqin Jin, Xiangmin Xu*, Qing Nie*.

05/2022

New lab publication: PHGDH expression increases with progression of Alzheimer’s diseasepathology and symptoms. Cell Metabolism Volume 34, Issue 5, 3 May 2022, Pages 651-653. (https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2022.02.008) by Xu Chen, Riccardo Calandrelli, John Girardini, Zhangming Yan, Zhiqun Tan, Xiangmin Xu, Annie Hiniker, Sheng Zhong

04/2022

New lab publication: al. Longitudinal dynamics of microvascular recovery after acquired cortical injury. acta neuropathol commun 10, 59 (2022). (https://doi.org/10.1186/s40478-022-01361-4) by Xiaoxiao Lin, Lujia Chen, Amandine Jullienne, Hai Zhang, Arjang Salehi, Mary Hamer, Todd C. Holmes, Andre Obenaus, Xiangmin Xu

04/2021

Michael Lu: We must lift the veil on anti-Asian racism in America

Click to read more …

03/2021

Congratulations to Dr. Xiangmin Xu and Dr. Andy Obenaus who will serve as multi-PIs on the new NIH RO1 grant “Neural activity-dependent modulation of cortical microvascular restoration”.  Great news!

11/2020

UCI Special Highlight:  We are Cartographers of the brain

UCI’s Center for Neural Circuit Mapping is redrawing our understanding of mechanisms underlying several common disorders.

Thanks to Xiangmin Xu and his team at the UCI School of Medicine’s Center for Neural Circuit Mapping, lazy eye, Alzheimer’s and other neurological diseases could become a thing of the past. Click to read more …

10/2020

UCI-led 4D Nucleome project receives $3 million from NIH to map aging-associated chromatin organizational changes in human brain cells

Irvine, Calif. – October 15, 2020 – The National Institutes of Health has awarded a team of researchers, led by the University of California, Irvine’s Xiangmin Xu, PhD, a five-year, $3 million grant for a project titled, “Single-Cell Analysis of Aging-Associated 4D Nucleome in the Human Hippocampus.” Now, as part of the 4D Nucleome consortium, Xu, a professor of anatomy and neurobiology and director of the Center for Neural Circuit Mapping at the UCI School of Medicine, together with MPIs, Carl Wayne Cotman, PhD, a professor of neurology and founding director of the UCI Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia, and Bing Ren, PhD, a professor of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at the University of California, San Diego, will work to build an understanding of aging-associated chromatin architecture changes in single cell nuclei.  Click the url below to read more. https://www.som.uci.edu/news_releases/4D-Nucleome-project.asp

09/2020

Our study finds antidepressant drug effective in treating “lazy eye” in adults

Irvine, Calif. – September 30, 2020 – In a new study, published in Current Biology, researchers from the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine reveal how subanesthetic ketamine, which is used for pain management and as an antidepressant in humans, is effective in treating adult amblyopia, a brain disorder commonly known as “lazy eye.”  Click the url below to read more. https://www.som.uci.edu/news_releases/Antidepressant-drug-treats-lazy-eye.asp

09/2020

Dr. Xu received new NIH grant for Alzheimer’s disease directed neural circuit studies NIH – National Institutes of Health / RF1AG065675 09/11/2020 – 08/31/2024 Xiangmin Xu (PI) Project Title: Neural circuit mechanisms underlying AD-related memory impairments We are establishing a comprehensive AD-directed basic research program.  With this funding support, we are expanding our neural circuit analysis into AD mouse models

08/2020

Dr. Xu and colleagues publish new guide for viral tracers in neural circuit mapping

Irvine, CA – August 4, 2020 – Researchers from the newly-established Center for Neural Circuit Mapping at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine evaluate the properties of anterograde and retrograde viral tracers, comparing their strengths and limitations for use in neural circuit mapping. Results were published today as a primer in Neuron. The article provides a comprehensive comparison of anterograde and retrograde viral and non-viral tracers for neural circuit analysis and describe neural circuit tracing history and background.  It also examines the specific viruses used for neuroscience research, and provides essential information to guide other researchers on their choice of viral tracers. Click to read more …

07/2020

Dr. Xu awarded the title of Chancellor’s Fellow

“Subject: Sent on behalf of Dr. Christine Gall ~ Congratulations to Xiangmin Xu To Anatomy and Neurobiology, Please join me in congratulating our colleague Xiangmin Xu for being appointed a UCI Chancellor’s Fellow! As described on the UCI website “Chancellor’s Fellows are faculty with tenure whose recent achievements in scholarship evidence extraordinary promise for world-class contributions to knowledge, …” It is indeed a high honor and well deserved!”

05/2020

Interdisciplinary research team awarded $3.8M to study molecular changes in the brain caused by Alzheimer’s disease

The interdisciplinary research team is led by multiple principal investigators, including Xiangmin Xu, PhD, a professor of anatomy and neurobiology and director of the Center for Neural Circuit Mapping at the UCI School of Medicine, Carl Cotman, PhD, a professor of neurology and founding director of the Institute for Brain Aging and Dementia at the UCI School of Medicine, and Bing Ren, PhD, a professor of cellular and molecular medicine and director of the Center for Epigenomics at the UCSD School of Medicine.  Click to read more …

05/2020

Congratulations to Cameron and Crisylle!

“Sun 5/3/2020 8:50 PM Hi everyone, I just wanted to share the good news about two of our undergraduate students. First, I’d like to congratulate Cameron Fateri for getting accepted into UCI School of Medicine Fall 2020!  Some of you may know Cameron Fateri from the 2018-2019 school year. He was an outstanding student who has been in the lab for 3-4 years and has contributed immensely to the success of our lab. He dedicated a lot of his time to aid our past Post Doctoral Scholar, ChristyItoga, with her projects. Second, I’d like to congratulate Crisylle who was selected to be one of the 16 finalists for the UCI 2019-2020 Excellence in Research Program (of 300 applicants)! She will have the opportunity to publish her research in the UCI Undergraduate Journal and present at the annual UROP Symposium. Crisylle has been working with our graduate student, Xiaoxiao Lin, over the past 1-2 years. She’s very dedicated and I’ve seen her staying late to help complete her projects. We are very proud of Cameron and Crisylle for their accomplishments! We’re hoping that the Xu lab can also be a part of your success in the future because believe you all can also achieve great things. Thank you everyone for dedicating your time to the Xu lab. Please stay safe during this special time. Ginny Wu”

02/2020

Congratulations – UROP Grant/Fellowship – to Crisylle, Elsie {Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program Tue 2/11/2020 Dear Crisylle S. Blanton: It is my pleasure to inform you that the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Advisory Board has recommended your appointment as a UROP Fellow at UCI for the 2019-2020 academic year. We are awarding $350 in support of your proposed research project, “Rabies-Mediated Tracing of The CA3 Hippocampus Subregion,” under the supervision of Professor Xiangmin Xu.  … Dear Elsie Yi: It is my pleasure to inform you that the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Advisory Board has recommended your appointment as a UROP Fellow at UCI for the 2019-2020 academic year. We are awarding $350 in support of your proposed research project, “Parvalbumin Interneuron Control of Cortical Disinhibition and Plasticity ,” under the supervision of Professor Xiangmin Xu and Dr. Steven Grieco. …}

01/2020

UCI Center for neural Circuit mapping (CNCM) approved We are pleased to announce a new research Center for Neural Circuit Mapping.  Leveraging their multiple NIH BRAIN Initiative Awards, other NIH grants and collaborations, SOM faculty Xiangmin Xu, Rozanne Sandri-Goldin, Todd Holmes and Bert Semler developed the Center plan which was recommended by the Dean’s Research Council and approved by the Dean on January 27, 2020.  There are ~30 UCI faculty who have expressed interest in joining in the Center, including members of UCI SOM basic science departments of Anatomy and Neurobiology, Microbiology and Molecular Genetics, and Physiology and Biophysics. This Center will focus on neural circuit studies and new viral-genetic technology development.

09/2019

NEWS RELEASE 26-SEP-2019   UCI researchers lead international team for $4.3M NIH BRAIN Initiative award Genetically engineered herpesvirus is a promising vehicle for anterograde neuronal circuit tracing UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA – IRVINE

09/2019

UCI study reveals critical role of new brain circuits in improving learning and memory for Alzheimer’s disease treatment

Irvine, Calif. – September 23, 2019 – A University of California, Irvine-led team of scientists has discovered how newly identified neural circuits in the brain’s hippocampal formation play a critical role in object-location learning and memory. The study, published today in Nature Neuroscience, was led by Xiangmin Xu, PhD, an anatomy and neurobiology professor in the UCI School of Medicine, and conducted in collaboration with Douglas A. Nitz, PhD, professor and chair of the Department of Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego; Qing Nie, PhD, Chancellor’s Professor of mathematics and developmental and cell biology at UCI; and, Todd C. Holmes, professor and vice chair of UCI’s Department of Physiology & Biophysics.

08/2019

BRAIN INITIATIVE grant news:  We receive new BRAIN Initiative grant to develop brain mapping tools We are successful in receiving our second BRAIN Initiative grant.  This is an important grant [RF1MH120020, Project title: Genetically engineered anterograde monosynaptic viral tracers for multi-species neural circuit analysis; HORWITZ, GREGORY D (U. Washington); LUO, MIN-HUA (WVI); SANDRI-GOLDIN, ROZANNE M.; XU, XIANGMIN (Contact)], in response to “BRAIN Initiative: Development and Validation of Novel Tools to Probe Cell-Specific and Circuit-Specific Processes in the Brain (RFA-MH-19-136)”.   We have formed a strong interdisciplinary collaborative team composed of virologists and systems neuroscientists to develop anterograde monosynaptic recombinant H129 tracers with high signal strength and little or no toxicity for multi-species neural circuit analysis.

08/2019

Congratulations to Yanjun, Suoqin and all other authors.  Our paper “CA1-projecting Subirulum Neurons Facilitate Object-Place Learning” is now in press in Nature Neuroscience. {Doug: “wow, tough one with a lot of hard work work from a lot of people…but so worth it. proud of this work and looking fwd to seeing it in print. ” } {Qing: “ Congratulations to all!  Let’s pop up champagne for celebration.”} “To: xiangmin.xu@uci.edu
Cc: neurosci@us.nature.com
Subject: Your manuscript, NN-A65114C 9th Aug 2019 Dear Xiangmin, Thank you for submitting your revised manuscript. I’m happy to say that we are accepting your paper and scheduling it for publication. The received and accepted dates will be August 19, 2018 and August 9, 2019. Your paper will now be copy edited to ensure that it conforms to Nature Neuroscience style. Your article proofs will be made available through our e.proofing system via a link in a forthcoming communication. The system will show you an HTML version of the article that you can correct online. ***It is extremely important that you let us know now whether you will be difficult to contact over the next month.*** If this is the case, we ask that you send us the contact information of someone who will be able to check the proofs and handle any last-minute problems. Please address any correspondence about your proofs to our copy editor, Joanne Hanrahan (joanne.hanrahan@us.nature.com), or our production department (rjsproduction@springernature.com). …”

08/2019

Itoga et al. Cover Image, Volume 527, Issue 15 Journal of Comparative Neurology 2019-10-15 | journal-article DOI: 10.1002/cne.24749

12/2018

Dr. Xu received a UCI ADRC Pilot Grant.  We foresee that this pilot grant support will allow our team to start new AD-directed research using our novel recording and tracing techniques toward a better understand of neural mechanisms underlying AD/ADRD etiology. From: Grill, Joshua Sent: Friday, December 14, 2018 9:45 AM To: Xu, Xiangmin Cc: Andrea Wasserman Subject: ADRC Pilot Dear Xiangmin, I am pleased to inform you that you have been selected for funding by the UCI ADRC Pilot Program… The funding cycle begins April 1, 2019. Andrea Wasserman will be in touch with more details about your award. Congratulations! josh

11/2018

Dr. Xu has been selected to serve on the Program Committee of the American Association of Anatomists for a 4-year term (2019-2023).  His term will begin April 2019.

06/2018

Dr. Xu received an accelerated promotion to Full Professor. Per the department chair, “We got approval for your promotion!  The letter from administration is attached. Congratulations, you very soon going to be a full Professor step II (starts in July)!” We will have a party soon to celebrate this with many of our colleagues and collaborators on campus.

06/2018

Congratulations – UROP Grant/Fellowship – to Jennifer Lai, Collins Nguyen, Tammy Nguyen

From: UROP [urop@uci.edu]
Sent: Monday, June 18, 2018 7:54 PM
Dear Jennifer: It is my pleasure to inform you that the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)/Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Advisory Board has recommended your appointment as a SURP Fellow at UCI for Summer 2018. We are awarding $1000 in support of your proposed research project, “Brain-Wide Viral Genetic Mapping of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Neuronal Inputs to the Nucleus Accumbens,” under the supervision of Professor Xiangmin Xu.

From: UROP [urop@uci.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2018 8:25 AM
Dear Jennifer M. Lai: It is my pleasure to inform you that the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Advisory Board has recommended your appointment as a UROP Fellow at UCI for the 2018-2019 academic year. We are awarding $400 in support of your proposed research project, “Brain-Wide Viral Genetic Mapping of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone Neuronal Inputs to the Nucleus Accumbens,” under the supervision of Dr. Xiangmin Xu. From: UROP [mailto:urop@uci.edu]
Sent: Tuesday, June 19, 2018 8:25 AM Dear Collins D. Nguyen, Tammy T. Nguyen: It is my pleasure to inform you that the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Advisory Board has recommended your appointment as a UROP Fellow at UCI for the 2018-2019 academic year. We are awarding $500 in support of your proposed research project, “” under the supervision of Dr. Xiangmin Xu.

03/2018

Dr. Xu’s research highlight Rabies and herpes viruses harnessed for new brain circuit mapping

Researchers from the University of California, Irvine are using a surprising technique to make new discoveries about the layout of the brain’s center for learning, memory and spatial navigation. Although the hippocampus has been well studied, traditional mapping techniques do not provide information about specific cell types or the relative strengths of the connections between neurons. To take a closer look at how different areas of the hippocampus interact, the researchers injected the brains of live mice with viruses including rabies and herpes simplex virus. The scientists then traced the viruses as they replicated within neurons and spread from cell to cell, typically by jumping across the synapses that link neurons to each other. The researchers also used genetic techniques to induce specific neurons to fire and analyzed behavioral changes in the mice. Taken together, the experiments provide new insights about the circuitry of the hippocampus and, in particular, how two segments of it, the subiculum and CA1, interact to regulate learning and memory. Xiangmin Xu will present this research at the American Association of Anatomists annual meeting at  4:00 PM – 4:30 PM on Sunday, April 22, 2018 in San Diego Convention Center, Room 11A (Abstract ID: 2201).

03/2018

UCI School of Medicine News Release > NIH brain initiative grant targets epilepsy and Alzheimer’s http://www.som.uci.edu/news_releases/nih-brain-initiative-grant-targets-epilepsy-and-alzheimers.asp The National Institutes of Health has awarded Xiangmin Xu, PhD, associate professor in the Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology at the University of California, Irvine School of Medicine, and Douglas Arthur Nitz, PhD, professor in the Department of Cognitive Science at the University of California, San Diego, a $2.5-million, five-year grant to study new neural circuit pathways in a region of the brain associated with learning and memory, as well as epilepsy…. Read more

01/2018

Congratulations – UROP Grant/Fellowship to Ananya, Gina and Ryan

“Dear Ryan Chen: It is my pleasure to inform you that the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Advisory Board has recommended your appointment as a UROP Fellow at UCI for the 2017-2018 academic year. We are awarding $500 in support of your proposed research project. Dear Ananya Mahapatra, Gina Wang: It is my pleasure to inform you that the Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Advisory Board has recommended your appointment as a UROP Fellow at UCI for the 2017-2018 academic year. We are awarding $600 in support of your proposed research project. …. Regards, Said Said M. Shokair, Director
Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program”

12/2017

Dr. Xiangmin Xu receives a BRAIN Initiative Award to study neural circuits of spatial mapping and learning. BRAIN Initiative Grant, R01NS104897 Xu (PI), Nitz (Co-PI, UCSD) Project title: Subiculum circuits for cortical feedback regulation of spatial mapping and learning Project period: 12/15/2017 – 11/30/2022 The proposed studies are aligned with the specified goals of Targeted Brain Circuits Projects, and will contribute to a mechanistic understanding of how dynamic patterns of specific subiculum neural activity are transformed into spatial navigation and cognition.  Given earlier findings implicating early-stage degeneration of CA1 and the subiculum in the progression of Alzheimer’s disease in humans and animal models, the proposed research will lead to better understanding of the neural circuit mechanisms that underlie this neurological disorder.

09/2017

Dr. Xiangmin Xu receives new NIH R01 to study neural circuit organization and function of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis. R01 MH113026 Xu (PI) Project Title: Neural circuit organization and function of the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (BNST) Project Period: 09/15/2017 – 06/30/2022 This research will advance our understanding of BNST-centered neural mechanisms to better understand and treat pathological anxiety disorders such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

08/2017

Congratulations Yanjun! Dr. Yanjun Sun who recently graduated from the Xu lab and goes to Stanford University, has been selected as the winner of the 2017 Krieg Cortical Kudos Scholar Award.  This highly prestigious award recognizes his outstanding contributions to our understanding of cerebral cortex, which was the passion of Wendell Krieg, who endowed this award. The award will be presented to him at the Cajal Club social, on the Sunday night of the SFN meeting, November 12, 2017 from 6:45-8:45. Please see a link to an article that describes the Club, the awards, and the role of Wendell Krieg: http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165017307000215  

08/2017

Dr. Xiangmin Xu receives new NIH funding to study molecular mechanisms of visual cortical plasticity. R01 EY028212 Xu (PI), Gandhi (Co-PI, UCI) Project Title: Neuregulin-1 based molecular mechanisms of cortical plasticity Project Period: 09/01/2017 – 05/31/2021 The proposed research will advance our understanding of molecular mechanisms underlying visual cortical plasticity, and help to develop new therapeutic approaches to treat amblyopia and other neurodevelopmental disorders.

07/2017

Anatomists on the Edge Conference, Galway Ireland Dr. Xiangmin Xu recounts his experience at the joint Anatomical Society-AAA meeting in Galway, Ireland. The conference took place on the National University of Ireland (NUI) Galway campus on the west coast of Ireland.  It brought together two of the oldest anatomical societies (the Anatomical Society and the American Association of Anatomists).  The talks and posters presented all aspects of the broad field of Anatomical Science. Read more

06/2017

Congratulations – SURP Grant/Fellowship, to Jasmine and Ryan

The Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)/Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Advisory Board has recommended their appointments as SURP Fellows at UCI for Summer 2017.  They are awarded $1300 in support of the proposed research projects.

06/2017

Congratulations – Yanjun Sun had a successful dissertation defense on 06/02/2017.  He was a third graduate student in the Xu lab to get a Ph.D.

05-6/2017

Dr. Xiangmin Xu receives new NIH funding to study BNST and visual cortical circuits. (1) R21MH112085 Xu (PI) Project date: 05/12/2017- 04/30/2019 NIH / National Institute of Mental Health Proposal title: High-resolution and cell-type-specific mapping of synaptic circuit organization in the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis (2) R01EY027407  McGee (PI, U. of Louisville), Trachtenberg (Co-PI, UCLA), Xu (Co-PI, UCI) Project date: 06/01/2017-05/31/2021 NIH / National Eye Institute Proposal title: Disinhibition and experience-dependent visual plasticity

11/2016

Congratulations to Yanjun on receiving a public impact fellowship! Tuesday, November 22, 2016 To: Deans, Associate Deans, Graduate Advisors, and Graduate Affairs Staff Dear Colleagues, I am pleased to announce the winners of the 2016-2017 Public Impact Fellowship competition. This program was developed to support and highlight academically excellent graduate students whose research demonstrates the potential to significantly improve or enrich the lives of people in California and beyond. Thank you very much for taking the time to nominate your students for these prestigious awards. Public Impact Fellows …. Yanjun Sun, Anatomy & Neurobiology … Information about these students and their research will be posted on the Graduate Division website in the coming weeks. Once again, thank you for your outstanding nominations. We appreciate your support of this important fellowship program. Sincerely, Frances Leslie Vice Provost for Graduate Education Dean of the Graduate Division Professor of Pharmacology and Anatomy & Neurobiology Graduate Division University of California, Irvine 120 Aldrich Hall Irvine, CA 92697-3180 949.824.6351 fmleslie@uci.edu From: Fellus, Leora Sent: Tuesday, November 22, 2016 4:03 PM To: Sun, Yanjun; Xu, Xiangmin Cc: Hertel, Klemens; Fellus, Leora Subject: Yanjun Sun: 2016-17 Public Impact Fellows Dear Dr. Xu and Yanjun, Congratulations on receiving a public impact fellowship.  We were delighted to see your work recognized through this important award. An announcement will be made on the SOM Graduate Studies website. Sincerely, Leora Fellus On behalf of the School of Medicine

11/2016

“A Lifetime of Vision” Symposium Honoring Casagrande Science

10/2016

We welcome Dr. Steven Grieco to join in the Xu laboratory. Steve hailed from the University of Miami.  He has strong training in behavior and molecular cell biology.  His thesis work was on the molecular and antidepressant effects of ketamine-mediated inhibition of GSK3.  He also has vision research experience at the University of Pennsylvania.  He will be a great asset to the lab research!

09/2016

Dr. Xiangmin Xu’s lab study will help to develop new treatments for children’s visual disorders. News brief: UCI study uncovers new molecular signaling mechanism for correcting childhood visual disorders https://news.uci.edu/health/uci-study-uncovers-new-molecular-signaling-mechanism-for-correcting-childhood-visual-disorders/ Neuroscientists at University of California, Irvine have discovered a molecular signaling mechanism that translates visual impairments into functional changes in brain circuit connections. The discovery may help to develop novel therapeutic drugs to treat the childhood visual disorder amblyopia and other neurodevelopment disorders. Xiangmin Xu, Todd Holmes and Sunil Gandhi conducted the study, which appears online Sept. 15 in Neuron. Amblyopia is the most common cause of permanent visual defects among children and is often a result of improper brain development due to deprivation during the “critical period” of vision development.  Read more

08/2016

Nominations for the 2017 Young Investigator Awards of the American Association of Anatomists (AAA) On behalf of the American Association of Anatomists (AAA) selection committee of Young Investigator Awards, I would like to solicit nominations for the 2017 awardees under the following categories: R.R. Bensley Award in Cell Biology (established in 1979), C.J. Herrick Award in Neuroanatomy (established in 1962), H.W. Mossman Award in Developmental Biology (established in 2001), AAA Morphological Sciences Award (established in 2008). These are prestigious awards to recognize young investigators who have made important contributions to their respective field.  The past winners include many well-known senior investigators.  Please see details at http://www.anatomy.org/young-investigator-awards.html. The nomination deadline is August 15th, 2016 (now extended to 08/31/2016), while the materials deadline is September 15th, 2016. Your nominee (s) should be within 10 years of their highest earned degree at the time of nomination.  It is not necessary that nominators or nominees are AAA members.  The nomination process is simple through online forms at the AAA website (http://www.anatomy.org/young-investigator-awards.html).  The person making the nomination only needs to fill out a short online form and upload a letter of recommendation along with a curriculum vitae of the nominee.  Then the nominee will be notified to provide a list of representative publications.  The required materials need to be completed by September 15th, 2016.  The award selection committee will decide on finalists based on your letter and your nominee’s academic qualifications reflected in his / her CV and publications. If it is possible at all, please nominate your candidate by August 31st, 2016 and ask your nominee to complete the application by September 15th, 2016, which is a specified deadline. The AAA Young Investigator Award recipients will present a lecture at the 2017 AAA annual meeting / Experimental Biology (EB) meeting, and will receive a plaque, a $1,000 honorarium and travel reimbursement (up to $1500). If you need further information, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Xiangmin Xu
Associate Professor
Department of Anatomy and Neurobiology
362 Med Surge II
School of Medicine
University of California, Irvine
Irvine, CA 92697-1275 Phone: (949) 824 0040   Fax: (949) 824 8549 Email: xiangmin.xu@uci.edu The American Association of Anatomists (AAA) selection committee of Young Investigator Awards:
Xiangmin Xu (chair) University of California, Irvine School of Medicine
Takanari Inoue Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Lionel Christiaen New York University
Ben Emery University of Melbourne and Florey Neuroscience Institutes
Andras Czirok University of Kansas Medical Center
Richard Daneman University of California at San Diego

07/2016

July 05, 2016 SCHOOL OF MEDICINE DEPARTMENT OF ANATOMYAND NEUROBIOLOGY THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, IRVINE Postdoctoral Position Open The research of Dr. Xiangmin Xu’s laboratory at the University of California, Irvine is focused on neural circuitry, which applies to understanding the neurobiology of sensory perception, and learning and memory.  We use combined approaches of electrophysiology, laser scanning photostimulation, optical imaging, and new viral tracing to address neural circuit questions. Candidates should have a recent PhD degree in biomedical sciences, and high motivation.  Candidates who are experienced in whole cell patch-clamping in brain slices would be preferred.  Please send a curriculum vitae, a brief statement of research accomplishments and interests, and names of three references to: Xiangmin Xu, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Anatomy & Neurobiology School of Medicine University of California, Irvine Irvine CA 92697-1275 Phone: 949-824-0040 (office) E-mail: xiangmin.xu@uci.edu

07/2015

We welcome Dr. Christy Itoga to join in the Xu laboratory. Christy has a lot of experience with electrophysiology techniques: multi-unit extracellular chronic recordings in behaving rodents (multi-wire electrodes/tetrodes), local field potential recordings, single-unit anesthetized recordings (glass electrodes), and electrical stimulation; working with awake, behaving rodent models; and a variety of pharmacological techniques: systemic, iv, site-specific, and iontophoresis. She will be a great asset to the lab for in vivo imaging and behavioral experiments.

06/2016

Congratulations – SURP Grant/Fellowship, to Kenson “The Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)/Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Advisory Board has recommended his appointment as a SURP Fellow at UCI for Summer 2016. We are awarding $1200 in support of your proposed research project.”

06/2016

Tiffany and Magie received the honor of Excellence in Research. Kirolos S. Sami and Ming Li presented their research project entitled “Mapping Brain Circuit Responses to Stress-Inducing Stimuli with c-Fos Expression” at the UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium on Saturday, May 14, 2016. Isaiah J. Molina and Kristen V. Ampig presented their research project entitled “Co-Localization of Neurochemical Markers Parvalbumin and Cholecystokinin in Inhibitory Interneurons in Mouse Hippocampus” at the UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium on Saturday, May 14, 2016. Lesley V. Ma presented her research project entitled “Developmental Studies of NRG1/ErbB4 Signaling in Inhibitory Cortical Neurons” at the UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium on Saturday, May 14, 2016. Tiffany Pham presented her research project entitled “Projection Distributions and Strength of Septal Glutamatergic and Cholonergic Neurons in the Septal-Hippocampal System” at the UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium on Saturday, May 14, 2016. Magie H. Nguyen presented her research project entitled “Circuit Connection Mapping of Subicular Neurons that Project to Hippocampal CA1” at the UCI Undergraduate Research Symposium on Saturday, May 14, 2016.

02/2016

Congratulations – UROP Grant/Fellowship, to Kristen and Isaiah   “The Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Advisory Board has recommended their appointment as a UROP Fellow at UCI for the 2015-2016 academic year. We are awarding $600 in support of your proposed research project.”

09/2015

Dr. Xu is recognized and publicized as a featured mentor (September, 2015) by the UCI Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) http://www.urop.uci.edu/frame_opportunities_facmentor_of_month.html

09/2015

Dr. Xu’s medical school teaching featured in iMedEd Release Notes (09/04/2015) Histology Flipped Classroom + Small-Group Discussion + Canvas = Active Learning  TheMS1 Histology course led by director Dr. Aileen Anderson and co-director Dr. Xiangmin Xu has integrated a new series of active learning sessions into their curriculum this year. They have designed these sessions to follow a flipped learning model where students watch faculty-created podcasts on histology topics (for example, this week’s topic was the Circulatory System) and complete a quiz through Canvas, our new learning management system, prior to an in-person small-group activity session.  Read more.

07/2015

Dr. Xiangmin Xu receives NIH grant to study prefrontal cortical interneuron circuit and function. Dr. Xu received a new multi-PI R01 grant “INHIBITORY NEURON CIRCUIT ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTION IN PREFRONTAL CORTEX” funded by NIH/NIMH. Congratulations to Associate Professor, Dr. Xiangmin Xu on receiving an NIH R01 grant to study the “Inhibitory neuron circuit organization and function of prefrontal cortex”. Dysfunction of cortical interneurons has been implicated as a major factor in many brain disorders including autism and schizophrenia. In collaboration with Co-principal investigator Dr. Peyman Golsani (UCLA), Dr. Xu will test the hypothesis that the specific connectivity of different types of inhibitory cortical interneurons governs computationally distinct neural signal transformations in the medial prefrontal cortex. The research will use cutting-edge modified rabies virus-based tracing and optogenetic stimulation to map local and long-range inputs/outputs of identified cells types. Studies will shed light on how inhibitory neuronal circuits regulate normal and maladaptive behaviors linked to neuropsychiatric and neurological diseases.

07/2015

Xu lab summer BBQ party

We celebrated our research successes and sent off summer researchers Ku, Jazlyn, and David.

06/2015

Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)/Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Awards for Magie (SURP Fellow), Lesley (SURP Fellow), Tiffany, Ariel, Trinh, Daniel (UROP Fellows). Faculty Advisory Board has recommended Magie and Lesley for their appointments as SURP Fellows at UCI for Summer 2015 with $1000 each in support of their proposed research. Tiffany, Ariel, Trinh, Daniel are appointed as UROP Fellows at UCI for the 2015-2016 academic year. They receive an award of $700 in support of their proposed research.

11/2014

We welcome Dr. Julie Dela Cruz to the lab.  Julie received her Ph.D. from Maastricht University and the City University of New York. She is supported by an NIH training grant (T-32) from the UCI Epilesy Research Center.

09/2014

Congratulations — Yulin Shi had a successful dissertation defense on 09/03/2014.  He was a second graduate student in the Xu lab to get a Ph.D.

06/2014

Dr. Xu received his promotion to Associate Professor with tenure. “From: Broderick, John
Sent: Thursday, June 19, 2014 11:04 AM
Subject: Tenure Dear Colleagues, It is my pleasure to let you know that Dr Xiangmin Xu has received his promotion to Associate Professor with tenure. This is a major milestone in an academic scientist’s career. Please join me in congratulating Xiangmin for his well-deserved promotion. We are looking forward to his continued success in this department. Best regards, —Ivan

04/2014

Dr. Xu received the 2014 C. J. Herrick Award in Neuroanatomy of the American Association of Anatomists, and presented the C. J. Herrick lecture at the EB 2014 meeting in San Diego, CA.

03/2014

Congratulations to Greg, Nick and Taruan on their paper accepted at the Journal of Physiology. Parks, G. #, Olivas, N.D. #, Ikrar, T. #, Sanathara, N., Wang, L., Wang, Z., Civelli, O. *, Xu, X. * (2014) Histamine inhibits the melanin-concentrating hormone system: Implications for sleep and arousal. Journal of Physiology (In press).   # Co-first authors; * Co-corresponding Authors

02/2014

·        Congratulations to Yanjun, Amanda, Joseph and Luc on their paper accepted at Cell Reports, an open access, high impact Cell Press journal. Sun, Y., Nguyen, A., Nguyen, J., Le, L., Saur, D., Choi, J., Callaway, E.M., Xu, X. (2014) Cell-type specific circuit connectivity of hippocampal CA1 revealed through Cre-dependent rabies tracing.  Cell Reports (in press) ·        Congratulations to Yanjun for his receiving a 2013-2014 Graduate Fellow Award of the HHMI-UCI Teaching Fellows Program

01/2014

Many congratulations go to Joseph for his appointment as a UROP Fellow at UCI for the 2013-2014 academic year with a UROP grant.   Congratulations also go to Wynnie and Sonam for their appointments with Honorary UROP Fellowship.

12/2013

NPR BRAIN news:  Can A Fruit Fly Help Explain Autism? Quote from Dr. Josh Trachtenberg (our collaborator at UCLA): “Once we understand [the brain] at this most basic level,” he says, “we can manipulate the system to make the lives of people better. That’s really the goal of the BRAIN Initiative.”

10/2013

Dr. Xu selected as recipient of the 2014 C.J. Herrick Award in Neuroanatomyfrom the American Association of Anatomists  Dr. Xu is invited to present the C.J. Herrick Award Lecture in the Young Investigator Award Symposium at the upcoming Annual Meeting in San Diego in conjunction with Experimental Biology (EB 2014).  This is an important national award, and represents important recognition of Dr. Xu’s work. [C.J. Herrick Award in Neuroanatomy
Established in 1962, this award recognizes investigators who have made important contributions to the field of comparative neuroanatomy and have demonstrated remarkable promise of future accomplishments. The area of comparative neuroanatomy is defined broadly; previous awardees are outstanding scientists who have made contributions to areas of neuroscience, including neurochemistry, development, neurocytology, neuroendocrinology, neurophysiology, and molecular neurobiology.] {The American Association of Anatomists, based in Bethesda, MD, was founded in 1888 for the “advancement of anatomical science.” Today, AAA is the professional home for biomedical researchers and educators focusing on anatomical form and function. In addition to being the primary educators of medical students in their first year of medical school, AAA members worldwide work in imaging, cell biology, genetics, molecular development, endocrinology, histology, neuroscience, forensics, microscopy, physical anthropology, and numerous other exciting and developing areas.}

10/2013

Andrew, Kris and Taruna’s paper titled, “Distinct physiological and developmental properties of hippocampal CA2 subfield revealed using anti-Purkinje cell protein 4 (PCP4) immunostaining”, was accepted for publication in the Journal of Comparative Neurology.  Web link San Antonio, A., Liban, K., Ikrar, T., Tsyganovskiy, E., Xu, X. (2013). Distinct physiological and developmental properties of hippocampal CA2 subfield revealed using anti-Purkinje cell protein 4 (PCP4) immunostaining.  Journal of Comparative Neurology (in press) This work illustrates a major contribution of undergraduate researchers to the Xu lab research program, as Andrew, Kris and Eugene were enrolled in UROP and worked as undergraduate researchers.

10/2013

Dr. Xu’s lab research highlighted in the UCI Medical School Dean’s Report (Volume 3, Issue 3, Fall 2013)  PDF

09/2013

    Dr. Xu Awarded Krieg Cortical Prize The Cajal Club is among the oldest societies devoted to the study of Neuroscience. Each year, the Cajal Club presents Krieg Cortical Kudos Awards to neuroscientists at senior, intermediate, and beginning stages of their careers in recognition of outstanding research on the cerebral cortex. The 2013 Cortical Explorer award, for an outstanding investigator during the intermediate phase of his professional career, has been awarded to Dr. Xu. This Kreig Cortical Kudo award is made in recognition of Dr. Xu’s work on understanding the cellular circuitry of the cerebral cortex. The award will be made during the annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience in San Diego, California at the Cajal Club Social on Sunday, November 10. The award includes a medal, a certificate, and a check to be used at the recipient’s discretion. This is a prestigious international award and represents important recognition of Dr. Xu’s work. Click the link to check out the Cajal Club: http://cajalclub.org/

07/2013

The collaborative work with the Trachtenberg group at UCLA was accepted at Nature.  [Kuhlman, S.J. #, Olivas, N.D. #, Tring, E., Ikrar, T., Xu, X.*, Trachtenberg, J.T.  A disinhibitory microcircuit initiates critical period plasticity in visual cortex. Nature (In press).  # Co-first authors; * Co-corresponding Authors]

08/2013

The Nature paper appeared online: http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/vaop/ncurrent/full/nature12485.html See the related press releases: http://news.uci.edu/press-releases/uci-ucla-study-reveals-new-approach-to-remedying-childhood-visual-disorders/ http://www.nih.gov/news/health/aug2013/nei-26.htm http://www.cmu.edu/news/stories/archives/2013/august/aug26_inhibitoryneurons.html

06/2013

Xuanchinh (Suzanne) Tran received a competitive SURP fellowship from the Summer Undergraduate Research Program (SURP)/Undergraduate Research Opportunities Program (UROP) Faculty Advisory Board

05-06/2013

Nicholas Olivas received a prestigious University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship, and moved to UCLA for his postdoctoral training [The University of California President’s Postdoctoral Fellowship Program was established in 1984 to encourage outstanding women and minority Ph.D. recipients to pursue academic careers at the University of California. The current program offers postdoctoral research fellowships, professional development and faculty mentoring to outstanding scholars in all fields whose research, teaching, and service will contribute to diversity and equal opportunity at UC.]

05/2013

Nicholas Olivas became the first graduate student in the lab to get a Ph.D.

04/2013

Dr. Xu received the 2013 Randolph Blake Early Career Award from his Alma Mater Vanderbilt University. [About the Randolph Blake Early Career Award: The program in Psychological Sciences at Vanderbilt establishes The Randolph Blake Early Career Award to recognize exemplary alumni of our program in the early stages of their career. The recipient receives a plaque, a prize award, and an invitation to give a research colloquium at Vanderbilt. This award honors Randolph Blake as a distinguished Vanderbilt alumnus, as an outstanding researcher and mentor, and as a former chair of the Department of Psychology who served in that role during some of the most important years of its growth.]

01/2013

Yulin Shi received a 2012-2013 Graduate Fellow Award of the HHMI-UCI Teaching Fellows Program