Bio
Xiang Gao, PhD, joined Indiana University School of Medicine faculty in 2016. He is an assistant research professor in the Department of Neurological Surgery specializing in traumatic brain injury (TBI). Dr. Gao studies the pathological changes and underlying mechanisms of brain trauma with the goal of developing new intervention for treatment.
Dr. Gao was pursuing his PhD at the Shanghai Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, China where his neurological studies prepared him with skills for scientific research. His postdoctoral training at University of Kentucky and IU School of Medicine eventually led him to an interest in brain trauma.
Dr. Gao currently serves as a principal investigator in a laboratory located in Stark Neurosciences Research Institute, where his main interests are to find an effective way to mitigate, or even prevent, cell death and dendritic/synaptic degeneration post TBI; to explore the potential therapeutic interventions for repairing damaged neural circuitries; and to study the molecular mechanisms underlie immune response and neuroinflammation post-trauma.
Dr. Gao's journey reflects a remarkable commitment to understanding and addressing the traumatic brain injury, as he strives to forge innovative solutions that could potentially benefit the lives of TBI patients.
In his free time, Dr. Gao enjoys being with his wife and their children for variety of activities, such as different ball games, hiking, fishing and traveling.
Key Publications
- Gao X, Arlotta P, Macklis JD, Chen J. Conditional knock-out of beta-catenin in postnatal-born dentate gyrus granule neurons results in dendritic malformation. J Neurosci. 2007 27(52)
- Gao X, Smith GM, Chen J. Impaired dendritic development and synaptic formation of postnatal-born dentate gyrus granular neurons in the absence of brain-derived neurotrophic factor signaling. Exp Neurol. 215 (2009) 178–190
- Gao X, Deng P, Xu ZC, Chen J. Moderate Traumatic Brain Injury Causes Acute Dendritic and Synaptic Degeneration in the Hippocampal Dentate Gyrus. PLoS One. 2011 Sept; 6(9)
- Gao X, Wang X, Xiong W, Chen J. In vivo reprogramming reactive glia into iPSCs to produce new neurons in the cortex following traumatic brain injury. Sci Rep. 2016 Mar 9; 6:22490
- Gao X*, Li W, Syed F, Yuan F, Li P, Yu Q *. PD-L1 signaling in reactive astrocytes counteracts neuroinflammation and ameliorates neuronal damage after traumatic brain injury. Journal of Neuroinflammation. 2022 Feb. 08, 19(43). *: corresponding author
Titles & Appointments
- Assistant Research Professor of Neurological Surgery
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Education
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Research