Education

2018     PhD in Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine

2012     Honours BSc, University of Toronto

Research Experience

2019-             Postdoctoral Scholar, University of California San Francisco

2013-2019     Predoctoral IRTA Fellow, National Institute on Drug Abuse

2010-2012     Research Assistant, University of Toronto

Fellowships and Funding

2024-2026     NARSAD Young Investigator Grant, Brain & Behavior Research Foundation

2023-2028     NINDS K99/R00 Pathway to Independence Award, National Institutes of Health 

2020-2022     NINDS F32 Ruth L. Kirschstein National Research Service Award, National Institutes of Health

2016-2019     Predoctoral IRTA Fellowship, National Institutes of Health

2013-2016     Graduate Research Fellowship, National Science Foundation

Awards and Honors

2024     FENS Forum Travel Award, Society for Neuroscience

2024     Student/postdoc invited speaker, University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Department of Neurobiology

2023     Panel Travel Fellowship, Winter Conference on Brain Research

2023     Selected speaker, Mount Sinai Neuroscience Seminars

2023     Student invited speaker, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Department of Neuroscience

2023     Travel Award, American College of Neuropsychopharmacology

2022     Honoree - Rising Stars in MS Research, National Multiple Sclerosis Society Northern California Chapter

2021     Network Glia Travel Award, XV European Meeting on Glial Cells in Health and Disease

2019     Chair-Elect, 2021 Gordon Research Seminar on Glial Biology

2019     Outstanding Poster Award, Winter Conference on Brain Research

2018     Student Poster Award, Annual Greater Baltimore Chapter SfN Chapter Meeting

2018     Travel Fellowship, Winter Conference on Brain Research

2018     Faculty nominated speaker, Johns Hopkins University Annual Neuroscience Retreat

2018     Outstanding Poster Award, National Institute on Drug Abuse IRP

2018     Graduate Student Research Award, National Institutes of Health

2017     Student Poster Award, Johns Hopkins University Annual Neuroscience Retreat

2017     Fellows Award for Research Excellence (FY2018), National Institutes of Health

2017     Travel Award, Johns Hopkins University Graduate Student Association

2015     Fellows Award for Research Excellence (FY2016), National Institutes of Health

2013     Thomas J. and Mary L. Kelly Award for Young Scholars, Johns Hopkins University

2012     Excellence Award in Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Toronto

2010-2012     Dean's List, University of Toronto Faculty of Arts and Sciences

2011     Student Travel Award, Annual AIRS Meeting

2010     New College In-course Scholarship, University of Toronto

Publications ( # corresponding, * equal contribution)

Primary research

2024    Xin W#, Kaneko M, Roth RH, Zhang A, Nocera S, Ding JB, Stryker MP, Chan JR#. Oligodendrocytes and myelin limit neuronal plasticity in visual cortex. Nature, 633: 856–863. Preprint - doi.org/10.1101/2023.09.29.560231

2022    Cordano C, Sin JH, Timmons G, Yiu HH, Stebbins K, Guglielmetti C, Cruz-Herranz A, Xin W, Lorrain D, Chan JR, Green AJ. Validating visual evoked potentials as a preclinical, quantitative biomarker for remyelination efficacy. Brain, 145(11): 3943-3952.

2021    Sell GL*, Xin W*, Cook EK*, Zbinden MA, Schaffer TB, O’Meally RN, Cole RN, Margolis SS. Deleting a UBE3A substrate rescues impaired hippocampal physiology and learning in Angelman syndrome mice. Scientific Reports, 11: 19414. Preprint - doi.org/10.1101/625418

2021    Chen JF, Liu K, Hu B, Li RR, Xin W, Chen H, Wang F, Chen L, Li RX, Ren SY, Xiao L, Chan JR, Mei F. Enhancing myelin renewal reverses cognitive dysfunction in a murine model of Alzheimer’s disease. Neuron, 109: 1-16. 

2021    Chang KJ, Agrawal I, Vainshtein A, Ho WY, Xin W, Tucker-Kellogg G, Susuki K, Peles E, Ling SC, Chan JR. TDP-43 maximizes nerve conduction velocity by repressing a cryptic exon for paranodal junction assembly in Schwann cells. eLife, 2021; 10:e64456.

2020    Marino RAM, McDevitt RA, Gantz S, Pignatelli M, Xin W, Wise RA, Bonci A. Control of food approach and eating by a GABAergic projection from lateral hypothalamus to dorsal pons. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 117(15): 8611-8615.

2019    Xin W#, Mironova YA, Shen H, Marino RAM, Waisman A, Lamers WH, Bergles DE, Bonci A#. Oligodendrocytes support neuronal glutamatergic transmission via expression of glutamine synthetase. Cell Reports, 27(8): 2262-2271.

2018    Xin W#, Schuebel K, Jair K-W, Cimbro R, Debiase LM, Goldman D, Bonci A#. Ventral midbrain astrocytes display unique physiological features and sensitivity to dopamine D2 receptor signaling. Neuropsychopharmacology, 44(2): 344-355.

Preprints

2019    Faust TE, Xin W, Lee B, Agarwal A, Saha S, Palen T, Cash-Padgett T, Wood D, Bonci A, Fahey JW, Jaaro-Peled H, Bergles DE, Sawa A. Astrocyte redox dysregulation causes prefrontal hypoactivity: sulforaphane treats non-ictal pathophysiology in ALDH7A1-mediated epilepsy. bioRxiv.

Reviews and previews

2024    Faust TE#, Devlin B, Farhy-Tselnicker I, Ferro A, Postolache M, Xin W#. Glial control of cortical neuronal circuit maturation and plasticity. Journal of Neuroscience, 44 (40): e1208242024.

2022    Xin W#, Chan JR#. Motor learning revamps the myelin landscape. Nature Neuroscience, 25: 1251-1252.

2020    Xin W#, Chan JR#. Myelin plasticity: sculpting circuits in learning and memory. Nature Reviews Neuroscience, 21: 682–694.

2020    Xin W#, Chan JR. That wasn’t a Complement – too much C3 in demyelinating disease. Immunity, 52(1): 11-13.

2018    Xin W# & Bonci A#. Functional astrocyte heterogeneity and implications for their role in shaping neurotransmission. Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, 12:141.

2016    Xin W*, Edwards N*, & Bonci A. VTA Dopamine Neuron Plasticity - The Unusual Suspects. European Journal of Neuroscience, 44(12): 2975-2983.

Selected Talks

2024     Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, Chicago, USA

2024     Neural Regeneration Research Webinar Series, virtual.

2024     Mount Sinai Neuroscience Seminar Series, New York, USA

2024     Gordon Research Conference on Myelin, Ventura, USA

2024     University of Massachusetts Chan Medical School Department of Neurobiology, Worchester, USA

2024     Winter Conference on Brain Research, Breckenridge, USA

2024     UCSF Division of Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology, San Francisco, USA

2023     Annual Meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Tampa, USA

2023     Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine Department of Neuroscience, Baltimore, USA

2023     Northwestern University Department of Neurology, Chicago, USA

2023     XVI European Meeting on Glial Cells in Health and Disease, Berlin, Germany

2023     Gordon Research Conference on Glial Biology, Ventura, USA

2023     UCSF - Edinburgh Center for MS Research Symposium (virtual)

2022     Annual Meeting of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology, Phoenix, USA

2019     Nankai University Centennial Celebration Forum, Tianjin, China

2019     Winter Conference on Brain Research, Snowmass, USA

2018     Annual Greater Baltimore SfN Chapter Meeting, Baltimore, USA

2018     Baltimore Brain Series, University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA

2018     Annual Neuroscience Retreat, Johns Hopkins University, Cambridge, USA

2018     CSHL Meeting: Glia in Health and Disease, Cold Spring Harbor, USA

Selected Poster Presentations

2024     FENS Forum, Vienna, Austria

2021     Glial Biology in Medicine Conference (virtual)

2021     XV European Meeting on Glial Cells in Health and Disease (virtual)

2019     XIV European Meeting on Glial Cells in Health and Disease, Porto, Portugal

2019     Gordon Research Conference on Glial Biology, Ventura,USA

2018     Annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, USA

2017     Gordon Research Conference on Glial Biology, Ventura, USA

2016     Annual meeting of the Society for Neuroscience, San Diego, USA

2016     CSHL Meeting: Glia in Health and Disease, Cold Spring Harbor, USA

2015     XII European Meeting on Glial Cells in Health and Disease, Bilbao, Spain

2013     RIKEN Brain Science Institute Summer Program, Wako-shi, Japan

Teaching Experience

2023     Lecturer, UCSF Neuroimmunology Didactic Series, UCSF

2021-2022     Lecturer, Basic Concepts for Cellular and Developmental Neuroscience, UCSF

2013-2016     Instructor, RISE Summer Workshop on Statistics and Experimental Design, Morgan State University

2015     Teaching Assistant, Great Discoveries in Neuroscience Course, JHU

2014     Teaching Assistant, Neuropharmacology Course, JHU School of Medicine

2014     Teaching Assistant, Neurobiology of Substance Abuse, JHU School of Medicine

Academic Service and Outreach

Journal Peer Review

Invited: Nature Communications, Journal of Neuroscience, eNeuro, Trends in Neurosciences, STAR Protocols, Brain Structure and Function, European Journal of Neuroscience, Frontiers in Cellular Neuroscience, Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience

With advisor: Nature, Nature Neuroscience, Cell, Cell Reports, Neuron, Immunity, Biological Psychiatry, Journal of Experimental Medicine, Brain, Glia

Leadership and Outreach

2024     Minisymposium chair, Annual Meeting of the Society for Neuroscience

2024     Panel session chair, Winter Conference on Brain Research

2023     Symposium chair, XVI European Meeting on Glial Cells in Health and Disease

2023     Discussion leader, Gordon Research Conference on Glial Biology

2023     Co-chair, Gordon Research Seminar on Glial Biology

2023     Interviewee, Johns Hopkins University #100 Alumni Voices Podcast

2022     Panelist, Society for Neuroscience Webinar - 'Navigating the postdoc-PI relationship'

2022     Panelist, Johns Hopkins Neuroscience Careers Course - 'Finding a postdoc and the postdoc experience'

2021-    Mentor, Project SHORT - https://www.project-short.com/

2021     Guest Editor, Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience Research Topic - 'The Role of Stress in Addictive Behaviors'

2021     Interviewee, 'Helpful amnesia', EMBO Reports - https://www.embopress.org/doi/full/10.15252/embr.202152549

2021     Interviewee, 'A conversation on the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on academic careers with junior researchers' - https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-021-22039-w

2020-2021     Founder and co-chair, Virtual Glia Trainee Symposium - http://www.virtualglia.org/

2020     Interviewee, Once A Scientist Podcast - https://onceascientist.net/2020/04/21/ep9/

2019-2020     Co-organizer, Postdoc meeting with speakers, UCSF Neuroscience Formal Seminar Series

2018     Volunteer, Baltimore BrainFest - https://www.brainfest.org

2013-2017     Recruitment Committee, Johns Hopkins SoM Neuroscience Graduate Program

2016     Instructor, NSF GRFP workshop, JHU SoM Department of Neuroscience

2014-2016     3rd and 4th year representative, JHU SoM Neuroscience Graduate Program

2013-2016     Co-founder and committee chair, Project Bridge - http://www.projbridge.org

2013-2014     Organizing Committee, JHU SoM Annual Neuroscience Retreat

2012-2013     Steering Committee, Career Development Course, JHU SoM Graduate Student Association

Scientific Consulting

2020-2021     Consultant, Pipeline Therapeutics (now Contineum Therapeutics)

Other Professional Training

2024     Neuropixels & OpenScope workshop, Allen Institute

2019     Journal of Neuroscience Reviewer Mentoring Program

2019     UCSF TRAIN-UP Inclusive Research Mentor Course

2015     Cellular Biology of Addiction Course (TA), Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory

2013     Summer Course - 'Neural Circuits from Top to Bottom', RIKEN Brain Science Institute