Xiajing Tong

Biography

Dr. Tong obtained her bachelor’s degree from University of Science and Technology of China in 2005, and received her Ph.D. degree from Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, Chinese Academy of Sciences in 2010. After graduation, she worked in Institute of Biochemistry and Cell Biology as a Research Assistant for one year. In 2011, she joined Dr. Joshua Kaplan’s lab in Harvard Medical School/Massachusetts General Hospital as a Postdoctoral Fellow, and was promoted as a Research Associate in 2016. In 2017, she joined School of Life Science and Technology at ShanghaiTech University as an Assistant Professor (Tenure-track), PI.

Research Interest

Brain has high complexity and capacity. On the one hand, it stabilizes neuronal function. On the other hand, it can adjust neuronal activity according to external changes through plasticity. Disturbance of brain stability and plasticity will cause lots of neurological and psychiatric diseases, such as autism and schizophrenia. Synapse is the basic structure in the brain that mediates neuronal connections and functions. In the Tong lab, we use C. elegans as our model organism combined with studies in mammals to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of synapse homeostasis and plasticity. We deploy a collection of tools to study synapse function, including biochemistry, imaging, electrophysiology, genetics, optogenetics, and animal behaviors. Our characterization of synapse structure and function that are highly conserved from nematodes to mammals will provide insights into mechanistic understanding of human disorders related to synapse dysfunction and therapy design.