Xinzhong Dong
Professor
Neuroscience
Johns Hopkins University
United States of America
Biography
Dr. Xinzhong Dong is an associate professor of neuroscience at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. Dr. Dong has identified many genes specifically expressed in the pain-sensing neurons of the brain’s dorsal-root ganglia. Using approaches that include molecular biology, mouse genetics and behavior, and electrophysiology, his research examines the function of these genes in pain sensation. Dr. Dong serves on the faculty of the Johns Hopkins Institute for Basic Biomedical Sciences and the Center for Sensory Biology, as well as on the Neurosurgery Pain Research Institute’s scientific advisory board. He received his B.A. from Holy Cross College and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles. Trained in molecular neuroscience, Dr. Dong completed a postdoctoral research fellowship at the California Institute of Technology. He joined the Johns Hopkins faculty in 2004. He has published approximately 40 academic journal articles and was recognized as an early career scientist by the Howard Hughes Medical Institute.
Research Interest
Itch; Gentle touch; Hyperalgesia; Nerve injury; Neuropathic pain; MrgC agonism; Sensory circuits; Sensory neurons; Spinal ganglia; Sensory receptor cells; Neuronal imaging; Pain-sensing neurons; Genetic studies; Molecular studies; Somatosensation; Nociception
Publications
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ang Z, Kim A, Masuch T, Park K, Weng H, Wetzel C, and Dong X. " Pirt functions as an endogenous regulator of TRPM8." Nature Communications July 2013.
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He SQ, Li Z, Chu YX, Han L, Xu Q, Li M, Yang F, Liu Q, Tang Z, Wang Y, Hin N, Tsukamoto T, Slusher B, Tiwari V, Shechter R, Wei F, Raja SN, Dong X, Guan Y. "MrgC agonism at central terminals of primary sensory neurons inhibits neuropathic pain." Pain. 2014 Mar;155(3):534-44.
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Kim YS, Chu Y, Han L, Li M, Li Z, Lavinka PC, Sun S, Tang Z, Park C, Caterina MJ, Ren K, Dubner R, Wei F, Dong X. "Central terminal sensitization of TRPV1 by descending serotonergic facilitation modulates chronic pain." Neuron. 2014 Feb 19;81(4):873-87.
