Source: Interfolio F180
Xin Jin, PhD
Research Focus
Approximately 1 in every 5 adults in the US will experience some form of serious mental illness in their lives. While human genetic studies have identified numerous genes and loci contributing to the risk of these devastating psychiatric disorders, it remains a challenge to map their cellular mechanisms and determine the relevant tissue and cell type contexts. We are building in vivo genetic screens to allow massively parallel analyses of gene function to systematically assign their function in diverse cell types in the context of brain development and maturation (Jin et al. 2020, Zheng et al. 2024).
A complex interplay of distinct factors causes brain disorders. We see this with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), where not only do numerous genes influence risk, but so do factors such as sex – ASD affects males much more frequently than females. We are working to connect sex-differential physiology with knowledge about ASD risk genes to study the confluence of these contributing aspects.
To tackle these challenges, we build and apply a suite of neurotechnologies including in vivo CRISPR screens, single-cell multi-omics, spatial genomics, and chemical biology tools. We always work in teams and collaborate closely with others in and out of the lab. Our unique position in joining forces of neuroscience and tool development has inspired us to connect technologies with rigorous dissection of molecular mechanisms to study how these complex inputs are integrated into the developing brain.
Potential Thesis Projects
We build and apply genetic and genomic tools to study the brain function and diseases using CRISPR-based functional genomic approaches in vivo.
Education
B.S. (Chemistry), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 2010Ph.D. (Biology), Rockefeller University, 2016
Professional Experience
Junior Fellow, Society of Fellows, Harvard UniversityAwards & Professional Activities
2024 Pew Biomedical Scholar2024 McKnight Scholar Award
2024 Prebys Research Heroes Award, Conrad Prebys Foundation
2023 Collaborative Innovation Award, Scripps Research
2022 ‘35 Innovators Under 35’ by MIT Technology Review
2022 Klingenstein-Simons Fellowship Award in Neuroscience
2022 International Society of Autism Research (INSAR) Early Career Investigator Award
2022 Donald E. and Delia B. Baxter Foundation Young Investigator Award
2022 The G. Harold and Leila Y. Mathers Foundation Award
2022 One Mind Rising Star Award
2022 Larry L. Hillblom Foundation Start-up Award
2020 Intersections Science Fellows
2020 Presidential Member Award, Genetics Society of America
2019 Allison Doupe Fellow, McKnight Endowment Fund
2018 William F. Milton Award, Harvard University
2017 Shark Tank Pilot Award, Broad Institute
2016 Kaluza Prize finalist for graduate thesis, American Society of Cell Biology
2015 Trainee Professional Development Award, Society for Neuroscience
2012 International Student Predoctoral Fellow, HHMI
2010 Outstanding Research Award, Department of Chemistry, MIT
2007 Outstanding Women Future Scientist Award, L’Oreal China
Selected Publications
Zheng, Xinhe; Wu, Boli; Liu, Yuejia; Simmons, Sean K.; Kim, Kwanho; Clarke, Grace S.; Ashiq, Abdullah; Park, Joshua; Li, Jiwen; Wang, Zhilin; Tong, Liqi; Wang, Qizhao; Rajamani, Keerthi T.; Muñoz-Castañeda, Rodrigo; Mu, Shang; Qi, Tianbo; Zhang, Yunxiao; Ngiam, Zi Cha C.; Ohte, Naoto; Hanashima, Carina; Wu, Zhuhao; Xu, Xiangmin; Levin, Joshua Z.; Jin, Xin Massively parallel in vivo Perturb-seq reveals cell-type-specific transcriptional networks in cortical development. Cell 2024, 187, 3236-3248.e21.
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Jin, Xin; Simmons, Sean K.; Guo, Amy; Shetty, A S.; Ko, Michelle; Nguyen, Lan; Jokhi, Vahbiz; Robinson, Elise; Oyler, Paul; Curry, Nathan; Deangeli, Giulio; Lodato, Simona; Levin, Joshua Z.; Regev, Aviv; Zhang, Feng; Arlotta, Paola In vivo Perturb-Seq reveals neuronal and glial abnormalities associated with autism risk genes. Science 2020, 370.
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Kannan, Soumya; Altae-Tran, Han; Jin, Xin; Madigan, Victoria J.; Oshiro, Rachel; Makarova, Kira S.; Koonin, Eugene V.; Zhang, Feng Compact RNA editors with small Cas13 proteins. Nature biotechnology 2022, 40, 194-197.
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Segel, Michael; Lash, Blake; Song, Jingwei; Ladha, Alim; Liu, Catherine C C.; Jin, Xin; Mekhedov, Sergei L.; Macrae, Rhiannon K.; Koonin, Eugene V.; Zhang, Feng Mammalian retrovirus-like protein PEG10 packages its own mRNA and can be pseudotyped for mRNA delivery. Science 2021, 373, 882-889.
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Uzquiano, Ana; Kedaigle, Amanda J.; Pigoni, Martina; Paulsen, Bruna; Adiconis, Xian; Kim, Kwanho; Faits, Tyler; Nagaraja, Surya; Ant??n-Bola??os, Noelia; Gerhardinger, Chiara; Tucewicz, Ashley; Murray, Evan; Jin, Xin; Buenrostro, Jason; Chen, Fei; Velasco, Silvia; Regev, Aviv; Levin, Joshua Z.; Arlotta, Paola Proper acquisition of cell class identity in organoids allows definition of fate specification programs of the human cerebral cortex. Cell 2022, 185, 3770.
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