Ranjie Xu

Title:

Assistant Professor

PhD Granting Institution:

University of Science and Technology of China

Contact:

Email Address: xu1726@purdue.edu
Office Phone: 765-496-4007

Primary Training Group:

Integrative Neuroscience

Secondary Training Groups:

Microbiology, Immunology and Infectious Diseases

Research Areas:

The Xu laboratory investigates the molecular and cellular mechanisms of human brain development and pathogenesis of neurological disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias (AD/ADRD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD), focusing on the role of human neurons, human microglia, and neuro-immune interactions. In contrast to traditional animal models, we established unique human induced pluripotent stem cell (hiPSC) based models, including in vitro two-dimensional (2D) monolayer cultures and 3D CNS organoids, as well as in vivo human neuronal and microglial chimeric mouse brain models. These models enable us to tackle neurological disorders using human cells and capture disease characteristics unique to humans, thereby potentially avoiding the translational failures caused by species differences. Our research aims to understand disease mechanisms, identify new therapeutic targets, and develop therapeutic interventions by employing multidisciplinary approaches, such as stem cell reprogramming, molecular and cell biology (CRISPR gene-editing), bulk and single-cell RNA-seq, proteomics, patch-clamp recording, pharmacology, animal behavioral testing, and various imaging techniques. Projects in our lab include (1) Stem cells for neurological disorder modeling. We are utilizing stem cell models to study how AD/ADRD and ASD-causing or risk genes affect human neurons, microglia, and neuro-immune interactions during disease progression, and we aim to identify translational therapeutic targets. (2) Stem cells for drug screening. We will continue to develop advanced hiPSC models that better recapitulate disease conditions and apply these models to screen drugs to treat neurological disorders. (3) Stem cells for regenerative medicine. We are also interested in developing strategies by transplanting modified human cells (such as neurons and microglia) into animal models or patients to replace the lost or damaged cells as treatments.