Nonclassical Ion Channels in the Nervous System

Tian-Le Xu, PhD, Principal Investigator and Professor Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai Dr. Tian-Le Xu obtained PhD of Neurobiology from Fourth Military Medical University. He did his postdoc training at Kyushu University and then joined University of Science and Technology of China as Professor. He was a principal investigator at Institute of Neuroscience, Chinese Academy of Sciences. Currently, he is Professor at Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine. Dr. Xu’s research focuses on neuronal signaling and related neural disorders including chronic pain and ischemic stroke, with an emphasis on the role of acid-sensing ion channels (ASICs) in these processes. The research from Dr. Xu’s lab has unveiled rich and new knowledge on the regulation and diverse functions of ASICs in health and disease. Long-Jun Wu, PhD, Professor and Consultant Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic Dr. Long-Jun Wu received PhD of Neurobiology from University of Science and Technology of China. After postdoc trainings at University of Toronto and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Wu was Instructor at Harvard Medical School and then Assistant Professor at Rutgers University. Currently, he is Professor and Consultant at Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic. Dr. Wu’s recent research primarily focuses on the neuroimmune interaction, particularly the function of microglial ion channels and receptors, in normal and diseased brain. By understanding and manipulating microglial functions, Dr. Wu’s research aim to develop potential therapeutics targeting microglia in the treatment of various neurological disorders, such as epilepsy, chronic pain, stroke, neurodegeneration and autoimmune neurology.