Our laboratory is interested in the general question of how cellular diversity in our bodies is generated and maintained. A major focus of our research is the auditory system, where we seek to systematically elucidate how a small group of progenitor cells is induced to become functional sensory neurons and hair cells in the inner ear. Hearing loss is the most frequent sensory defect in humans, with approximately 1 in 1,000 children affected by severe deafness at birth or during early childhood. Identifying the pathways that instruct sensory or neuronal cell-specific gene expression programs should provide valuable insights into the genetic and epigenetic networks that contribute to congenital neurosensory deficits. We are also studying the regulatory networks that govern the establishment of nephron progenitor cell fate and their differentiation during kidney development.
Xu Lab
Department of Genetics and Genomic Sciences
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Icahn Building 14-02, Box 1498
1425 Madison Avenue
New York, NY 10029-6574
Lab: (212) 659-6842
Office: (212) 659-6787