Yuanzhong Xu
Assistant Professor
The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
McGovern Medical School
Department of Institute of Molecular Medicine
Dr. Xu is currently an Assistant Professor at the Center for Neuroimmunology and Glial Biology (CNG), The Brown Foundation Institute of Molecular Medicine (IMM), McGovern Medical School, UTHealth. The Xu lab’s research program seeks to understand the fundamental principles by which the brain encodes behavioral adaptation to specific environmental contexts. Flexibility in behavioral responses is crucial for promoting health and survival in both animals and humans. Neuropsychiatric disorders often arise from impairments in the brain’s ability to flexibly switch between appropriate behavioral modes. For instance, excessive reward-seeking behaviors are commonly observed in individuals with substance use and eating disorders, while over avoidance characterizes many stress-related anxiety disorders, including posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and social anxiety disorder.
By utilizing cutting-edge techniques and multidisciplinary approaches, including chemogenetics, optogenetics, in vivo fiber photometry, microendoscopic recording at single-cell resolution, Cre-LoxP/FRT-FlpO mouse genetics, Tet-On/Off method, and ethologically relevant test models, current projects in Xu lab are mainly focusing on exploring the neural mechanisms that regulate nutritional homeostasis, feeding behaviors, emotional responses, and reward approach versus risk-avoidance conflicts. Our long-term goal is to achieve a comprehensive understanding of brain-behavior relationships and the mechanisms underlying psychiatric disease, with the ultimate aim of identifying novel brain targets for therapeutic intervention.
Education & Training
PhD, University of Verona, 2007