Date&time

Time：25th October, 2:00-3:00pm BJT

Location: WDR 1003

ZoomID: 924 8132 1467

Passcode: DKU2024

Speaker: 

Prof. Xinshu (Grace)Xiao, Endowed Professor

Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology University of California, Los Angeles

Abstract: 

RNA editing is a post-transcriptional process that alters nucleotide sequences in RNA molecules, most commonly through adenosine-to-inosine (A-to-I) conversions mediated by ADAR enzymes. This modification diversifies the transcriptome and is tightly regulated via enzyme expression levels, RNA substrate availability, and cellular context. In innate immunity, RNA editing plays a crucial role by modifying endogenous double-stranded RNA to prevent erroneous immune activation and by influencing cytokine expression. In this talk, I will introduce my lab’s recent work in understanding RNA editing regulation, function and its relevance in cancer immunity.

Bio: 

Dr. Xinshu (Grace) Xiao received her B.S. degree at Tsinghua University, Beijing, China. She then went to the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) for graduate studies, earning the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in 2000 and 2004, respectively. During this period, she worked on mathematical modeling and systems identification with Dr. Roger D. Kamm and Dr. Richard J. Cohen, respectively, at MIT. After receiving her Ph.D degree in the Division of Health Sciences and Technology (HST), a joint program by MIT and Harvard Medical School, Dr. Xiao joined the laboratory of Dr. Chris B. Burge in the Department of Biology at MIT for postdoctoral training, where she carried out bioinformatic, genomic and experimental studies of alternative splicing.

In 2008, Dr. Xiao joined the faculty at the University of California, Los Angeles. She is now the Maria R. Ross Endowed Professor of the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology. She also serves as the Director of the Bioinformatics Interdepartmental Program. In addition to her primary appointment in the Department of Integrative Biology and Physiology, Dr. Xiao is affiliated with the Institute for Quantitative and Computational Biology, the Molecular Biology Institute, and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center. She is a training faculty with several Ph.D. programs, including the Bioinformatics IDP, Molecular Biology IDP,  Molecular, Cellular and Integrative Physiology IDP, and the Bioengineering Ph.D. program. She is also a participating faculty in the Computational and Systems Biology undergraduate program.