Dr. Xiaofei Gao received his Bachelor’s and Master’s  degrees from Nanjing Agricultural University in 2003 and 2005; Ph.D. degree in  Microbiology, Immunology and Genetics from University of Kansas in 2012. He then  joined Dr. Harvey Lodish’s laboratory at the Whitehead Institute for Biomedical  Research / MIT for his postdoctoral research. Dr. Xiaofei Gao received a number  of recognitions including the Lymphoma and Leukemia Society Fellow Award;  Chinese Government Award for Outstanding Self-financed Student  Abroad.

Our long-term interest is to understand how  stem/progenitor cell fates are determined via coordination of multiple cellular  factors and environmental signals under normal and stressed conditions.  Stem/progenitor cells can respond to extrinsic and intrinsic signaling cues, and  decide whether to undergo self-renewal or a differentiation division. This  decision plays a key role in tissue regeneration and maintaining tissue  homeostasis. We have used genetic, cell biology, molecular biology and  biochemical approaches to systematically analyze mechanisms by which cells  integrate extrinsic and intrinsic signals to make developmental decisions. In  addition, by using single-cell RNA sequencing technology, we have dissected the  heterogeneity within a cell population and discovered novel mechanisms  underlying stem cell self-renewal. More importantly, building on our basic  research, we have discovered several drugs that can retain orpromote the  self-renewal capacity of certain stem cells for therapeutic purposes.

* These authors contributed equally

1. Gao  X*,  Lee HY*, Li W, Platt RJ, Barrasa MI, Ma Q, Elmes RR, Rosenfeld MG and Lodish HF,  Thyroid hormone receptor beta and NCOA4 regulate terminal erythrocyte  differentiation, PNAS, 2017, doi:  10.1073/pnas.1711058114

2.  Gao  X, Lee HY, Lummertz Da  Rocha E, Lu YF, YX Feng, Barrasa MI, Cahan P, Li H, Daley GQ, Lodish HF.  TGF-β  inhibitors stimulate red blood cell production by enhancing self-renewal of  BFU-E erythroid progenitors. Blood, 2016 Oct 24. pii:  blood-2016-05-718320.

3.  Gao  X, Pham TH, Feuerbacher LA,  Chen K, Hays MP, Singh G, Rueter C, Guerrero RH, Hardwidge PR.Citrobacter  rodentium NleB inhibits tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptor-associated factor 3  (TRAF3) ubiquitination to reduce host type I interferon  production. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 2016 Jul  7. pii: jbc.M116.738278.

4.  Lee HY*, Gao  X*, Barrasa MI, Li H, Elmes  RR, Peters LL and Lodish HF, “PPARα and glucocorticoid receptor  synergize  to  promote  erythroid  progenitor  self-renewal”,   Nature,  DOI  10.1038/nature14326,2015. (Highlighted  article by Diamond Blackfan Anemia Foundation)

5.  Gao  X, Wang X, Pham T,  Feuerbacher LA, Lubos ML, Huang M, Olsen R, Mushegian A, Slawson C and Hardwidge  PR, “NleB, a Bacterial Effector with Glycosyltransferase  Activity, Targets  GADPH Function to Inhibit NF-κB Activation”, Cell Host &  Microbe, 13: 87-99, 2013.

6.  Pham T, Gao  X, Singh G and Hardwidge  PR, “Escherichia coli virulence protein NleH1 interaction with the v-  Crk  sarcoma virus CT10 oncogene-like  protein (CRKL) governs NleH1 inhibition of the  ribosomal protein S3 (RPS3)/nuclear factor κB (NF-κB)  pathway”, Journal of Biological  Chemistry, 288(48):34567-74, 2013.

7. Gao  X and Hardwidge PR,  “Ribosomal protein S3: A multifunctional target of attaching/effacing bacterial  pathogens”, Frontiers in Microbiology, 2:137, 2011.  (Invited review)

8. Wan F, Weaver A, Gao  X, Bern M, Hardwidge  PR  and Lenardo MJ, “IKKâ  phosphorylation  regulates RPS3  nuclear  translocation   and  NF-êB  function  during  infection  by  the  foodborne  pathogen  E. coli  O157:H7”, Nature  Immunology, 12(4): 335-43,  2011.

9. Gao  X, Wan F, Mateo  K,  Callegari  E, Wang D, Deng W, Puente  J, Li F, Chaussee  MS, Finlay BB, Lenardo  MJ and Hardwidge PR, “Bacterial effector binding to ribosomal protein s3  subverts NF-kappaB function”, PLoS Pathogens, 5(12):  e1000708, 200.