Bio
Wei Wu, PhD, is a trained neurobiologist and focuses his research with patients with spinal cord injury. He received his Medical Diploma from the Nanchang University School of Medicine in 2005, and his PhD in Neurobiology from the Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine in 2013 under the mentorship of Xiao-Ming Xu, PhD.
Between 2010 and 2014, he received a training in the Welton School of Biomedical Engineering at Purdue University under the mentorship of Jixin Cheng, PhD. Dr. Wu then received postdoctoral training at Indiana University School of Medicine from 2014 to 2017. He was promoted to research associate in 2017 and then to research assistant professor in 2021.
Dr. Wu’s research has focused on the neuroprotection, axonal regeneration, and functional recovery of traumatic spinal cord injuries. He has published 17 research papers in prestigious scientific journals, including Cell Stem Cell, Cell Metabolism, Nature Communications, JCI Insights, and Biomaterials. His discoveries were extensively reported by the news media, such as reprogramming in the spinal cord (EurekAlert, ScienceDaily, News Medical Life Sciences, IU School of Medicine newsroom, Medical Express), Neuromodulation in the cortex (EurekAlert, Medical Express, IU School of Medicine newsroom), Neurotrophic factors (EurekAlert, Bioengineer, The Visible Embryo, News Medical Life Science, Medical News Bulletin, Medicalxpress), Mitochondria transportation (NIH, EurekAlert, IU School of Medicine newsroom, Physicians Weekly, Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology, Technology Networks), Polypharmacology (Biocentury), and nonlinear optical imaging (Advanced Science News).
Key Publications
- Wei Wu, et al., (2022) “Transhemispheric Remodeling the Motor Cortex Promotes Forelimb Recovery after Mouse Spinal Cord Injury” JCI Insight. First-author & Co-responding author
- Kar Men Mah, Wei Wu, et al. (2022) “Compounds co-targeting kinases in axon regulatory pathways promote regeneration and behavioral recovery after spinal cord injury” Experimental Neurology. Co-first author
- Wenjiao Tai, Wei Wu, Lei-Lei Wang, Haoqi Ni, Chunhai Chen, Jianjing Yang, Tong Zang, Yuhua Zou, Xiao-Ming Xu, Chun-Li Zhang. (2021). "In vivo reprogramming of NG2 glia enables adult neurogenesis and functional recovery following spinal cord injury." Cell Stem Cell. Co-first author.
- Wei Wu; Wenhui Xiong, Ping Zhang, Lifang Chen, Jianqiao Fang, Christopher Shields, Xiao-Ming Xu, Xiao-Ming Jin. (2017) “Increased threshold of short-latency motor evoked potentials in transgenic mice expressing Channelrhodopsin-2”, PLoS One 12(5): e0178803.
- Wei Wu, Pu Wang, Ji-Xin Cheng, Xiao-Ming Xu. (2014) “Assessment of White Matter Loss Using Bond-Selective Photoacoustic Imaging in a Rat Model of Contusive Spinal Cord Injury”. Journal of Neurotrauma 31(24): 1998-2002.
- Wei Wu, Seung-Young Lee, Xiangbing Wu, Jacqueline Y Tyler, He Wang, Zheng Ouyang, Kinam Park, Xiao-Ming Xu, Ji-Xin Cheng. (2013). “Neuroprotective Ferulic Acid (FA)-Glycol Chitosan (GC) Nanoparticles for Functional Restoration of Traumatically Injured Spinal Cord”. Biomaterials 35(7): 2355-2364.
Titles & Appointments
- Assistant Research Professor of Neurological Surgery
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Education
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Research
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Professional Organizations